


As the Aja-Adanna...

by lsem



Category: Black Panther (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-11 10:19:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13522188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lsem/pseuds/lsem
Summary: I think this would be an adorable pairing, I like their relationship in the comics. While there is no romantic backing whatsoever, I still like the idea of Shuri and Eden. This is where I'll put all my better one-shots for this pairing.





	1. You're a Disappointment

"You're a disappointment." T'Chaka's words rang in her ears and shook her out of her sleep. Her father died when she was very young and he left very large shoes for both her and her brother to fill. Shuri put on a strong face because she had to, it's what was expected of her the moment she began training for Black Panther. Sometimes she had these dreams where she's cast out completely by T'Chaka, no one has lived through being turned away by the Panther God, except her, and sometimes shame still sinks down low into her bones when she thinks about it. What would T'Chaka think? What would her papa say?

"Try not to shatter my face next time." Eden said and caught her wrist, she was distracted but hitting harder than she had before. Sometimes she saw her father's face in her sleep and she needed to blow off stress, she needed to unhear that she was a mistake in the panther line and that wasn't worthy. Eden used her distractions against her pinning her wrist behind her back."You're distracted, tonight."

"A little." She said and broke free, sending him flying across the matt with one solid kick . He stood up slowly on shaky legs and tried not to hold his stomach. "I can't shake these words."

"What words?" He asked.

"The words of my father."

"And you're sharing this with me?" Eden asked and signaled for her to attack him again by beckoning her with two fingers.

"No one would ever believe you if you told them Queen Shuri still has nightmares like she's still a panther cub." Shuri said.

"What did he say to you?"

"He never said the words to me exactly, I was a girl when he died, that would be cruel." Shuri said and came at him quickly with elbows and open palms, he blocked most of her attacks and was careful to dodge her feet.

"So it's your mind playing tricks on you."

"He calls me a disappontment." Shuri said and tried to land a few wild kicks, he caught her leg and tossed her easily onto the mat, she rolled into a crouching stance and ran back towards him.

"That's all?"

"T'Chaka was the finest ruler ever, that's more than enough." Shuri said and grappled with him, they both rolled around on the mat trying to see who would come out on top.

"I think your papa loved you and would be proud of you." Eden said, he pinned her wrists down to the mat and straddled her waist. "I don't know too much about this ruling-a-country thing but I think it's pretty hard and there's no one right way to do it."

"I didn't come down here for a warm-and-fuzzy feeling, Eden. I came to blow off some steam."

"Well there's more than one way to do that." Eden said and Shuri bucked a few times, just enough to throw him off of her and distract him, she pinned him down on the mat quickly.

"How would we do that?"

"Take the kid gloves off." Eden said and gave her a mischevious look. She knew when they were in the heat of the battle they barely had time to show off, let alone, to truly admire one another's skill. It would be interesting to go toe to toe with Eden.

"No holding back?" Shuri asked.

"None whatsoever." Eden said. "First one pinned loses."

"I can get with that." She said and immediately regretted it as a portal opened behind her and she felt herself flying into it, across the room and into an unforgiving cement wall. Eden jumped up and made his way over to her, she sent a flock of birds his way that blinded him as she attacked him with stone fists. He blocked the blows and did his best to swipe her feet out from underneath her, she came at him with wild kicks and he slipped through one portal and into another with ease moving in front of her and behind her until he kicked her feet out from underneath her.

He nearly had her pinned on the mat when she gave him a look he had only seen a few times: sometimes when he'd crack a joke she found funny, or poked a hole in a plan that was previously believed to be bullet proof, and mostly when he was listening to her go on and on about her favorite story from the Djalia, it was an odd heated look that made him feel inexperienced and out of his depth. No one woman should have been able to look at a man like that and make him forget everything he was ever doing or ever was supposed to be. She reached up quicker than he could move his hands to pin her, and grabbed the sides of his face pulling him down into a kiss. It was soft and chaste, he'd remember the spearmint on her breath and how much his back ached as she pinned him after their short lived kiss.

"You cheated." Eden said while staring up at her.

"I did." Shuri said and rolled off of him and laid beside him on the mat, both of their chests heaved up and down as they took in the silence of the sparring room and the lights above one another.

"Do you cheat that way all the time?" He asked between taking deep breaths.

"Only with the boys I like." Shuri said and reached out for his hand and intertwined it with her own when she found it. "You didn't have to get up in the middle night but I'm glad you did."

"Yeah, think nothing of it." Eden said. "And you're not..."

"Not what?"

"A disappointment."

"I know," Shuri said, T'Chaka had been a loving and caring parent, she wanted to remember him that way but her mind had other ideas, old insecurities that clawed their way to the front "And honestly, it's been years since I've dreamed of my father, or at least it feels that way. But each time I do it feels like a knife in the stomach. It feels realer than it is."

"Anytime you want to spar, just let me know."

"Will we have to keep the kid gloves on?" Shuri asked.

"For the sake of my spine and my heart, I think we better."

"Your heart?"

"You kiss as well as you rule, Shuri."

"I don't know whether to kiss you again or to make sure you're never allowed to set foot in Wakanda." Shuri said and couldn't help but laugh, she released his hand and sat up slowly.

"I'm not really a poet but--"

"But those words will be tattooed on the inside of my eyelids." Shuri said, the alarm on her watch began to chime and she sighed. "And now it appears to be time for breakfast."

"Early bird gets the worm?"

"No, the Doras enjoy healthy portions." Shuri said and stood up, "And I'm sure you could get us there quicker."


	2. Destiny

"I can't believe you!" Shuri called out as Eden told her yet another story about his experiences with the Avengers. She knew how rambunctious the group could be but some of the newest editions to the growing group of heroes tickled her pink. Eden was unlike many of the people T'Challa called in, he had yet to ask for anything in return. There had to be more to this man, she trusted her brother's judgement just fine, but there had to be something he wanted.

"I put eggs in Bartons shoes."

"Don't you miss them?" Shuri asked.

"The eggs?"

"No," Shuri said and laughed, "Barton...and your Avengers."

"I see them often enough. There's more than enough people to help." Eden said and poured himself another glass of wine.

"Well we appreciate having you here."

"Tell me something, Shuri." He said, "Do you believe in destiny?"

"I have to say that every man who has posed this question has had other things besides destiny on his mind." Shuri said and tried not to snort, it was always some cheesy pick up line but she never took Eden for that much of a cornball.

"It's not a pick up line, not that I think it'd work anyway." Eden said, "Do you feel like you're meant to be here, like you're destined for greatness?"

"Are you asking me because you're curious or because I wasn't alive for an extended period of time?" Shuri asked and sipped her wine, she'd catch him staring at her oddly, as if waiting for her to disappear into thin air but she saw T'Challa doing the same thing at times. She tried not to pay attention, she had been Princess of Wakanda her entire life and had eyes on her at all times but this was different, maybe this is what it was about.

"Could be both."

"I suppose it could," She said and placed the glass down on the table in front of them.

"It has nothing to do with Wakanda but I sometimes question my place...in this Universe. I've always felt I was destined for greatness but I feel like I'm moving towards something amazing, could it be destiny? Have you felt this before... before you..."

"Before I died?" Shuri questioned and closed her eyes thinking about that. Traveling between different planes of existences is difficult, it hurts, dying hurts and being encased in that was incredibly uncomfortable and painful but not as bad as your soul being stripped from the body and returning just as quickly as it left. "There's not a day that passes that I don't question where this new path in life will take me. Falling for my country is one of the most honorable things but I'm here with an entirely different perspective not only of my country but of myself."

"But you feel it don't you?" He said in that excitedly childish way that reminded her of both their ages, they were so young, there was so much out there that they both hadn't experienced. "There's something out there we were born to do something great."

"I do, I believe." Shuri said and placed her hand over his. "Ever since I was a small girl."

"I'm glad it's not me, there are so many heroes who believe they're just falling into it, like a bad job or a marriage of convenience." Eden said and released a relieved sigh.

"I'm not a hero, Eden." Shuri said.

"Seems both you and your brother are too humble for words." Eden said.

"I've never been called humble before." Shuri said.

"You died for your country, for your people, to them you're a hero."

"I was doing my duty as Queen." Shuri said, but it did sound heroic and devastatingly humble even to her ears, the tales in the Djalia told of heroes, people who she would admire for as long as the Panther God allowed her to stay here. They were everyday people who did something brave, or stepped outside of the box, but pushed themselves and their people into a glorious golden age. Could it be Shuri was apart of that? The mocking words of the panther God still haunted her, had she finally conquered Hubris?

"Be that as it may, you're a hero to many." Eden said.

"Even to you?" She asked.

"Especially to me." He said and placed his free hand on top of her own. When Shuri was slightly younger and much less aware of what it took to run a country she thought her brother was mockingly humble. He was King, right? It was as simple and absolute as that. No, he was just a man just like she was just a woman and they were trying not only to hold the country together but themselves.

"Tell me more about your Avengers." Shuri said, she tried not to be too introspective about her past. 

"Well, it all started with a bad joke. All their jokes are bad and poorly outdated."

"Probably has something to do with them being born hundreds of years ago, but continue."  
  
"Yeah, so Captain America said..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. First Festival

  
Eden has never experienced a Wakandan festival, it brings back fuzzy memories in the back of his own mind. Somone putting paint on his face... it's a woman... his mother perhaps. Thoughts of his childhood are always so fuzzy and it's nearly painful to recall. Still, he's never experienced anything like this. The entire country moves in sync, there's not one person in the country who isn't at the festival. There's music, there's food, there's stories, both good and bad.

They do a tribute to Queen Shuri, while she's here with them now that wasn't always they case. They drink and eat as if she is still dead, as if the previous panthers are still waiting for their table to be piled high with food and drink. Eden has never seen Shuri like this, to be quite honest, he doesn't know her all that well. He considers her a friend but she is so different from the stories people tell about her. Shuri drinks and eats happily, it strikes him suddenly that shes been apart of this festival since she was a small girl, it has to bring her joy. He's never seen her smile so brightly, her youth shines through and reminds him that they're still young and while it's important to fight the good fight it's also important to live and enjoy this while they have it as well.

"Dance with me!" She calls out to him, the crowd cheers as they dance together but the crowd is always cheering, always happy, always jubilant for another successful year. There are many who fell and are not with them and they celebrate for them. For the hunt, for the harvest, for the warrior, for Wakanda! They chant it again, it becomes a mantra and a prayer, a song as he wraps one arm around her waist pulling her close to him while they dance. Shuri throws her head back and laughs wildly while resting her head on his chest.

This country is so far away from home, from what he remembers of home but he likes Wakanda and it's people. He likes when Princess Shuri laughs and dances, he enjoys when the festival slows down and Shuri walks with him telling him stories of the first festival ever, the first harvest and the first successful hunt. Her eyes shine and her smile is big and bright, she really loves her country and all of her people. He likes seeing Shuri like this, not suspended in amber fighting for her life or trapped in the Djalia.

"You have that look on your face again."

"What look?" Eden asked as they approached the Royal palace.

"The one where you look like I'm fading away in front of you." Shuri says, he stands there stunned for a moment that he's so easily read.

"Tell me more about your first festival." He says trying to get away from that line of thought, and she does well into the early hours of the morning she recounts every detail with a disturbing amount of vivid accuracy. She talks about her mother, the Dora Milaje, her father and T'Challa. She tells him about other festivals and the colors, the people, her first dance, her first kiss when she thought her brother wasn't paying attention to her. Shuri is so much more than the stories people have told about her, there's a light that shines through her and not just because she was once a doorway to another world.

"How was your first festival?" Shuri asked.

"I don't have any others to compare it to but I'd say it was great." Eden said, "Will there be more?"

"Many more unless you're done helping us settle our squabbles."

"Not at all...not that I mean... I don't mind helping... and they're not squabbles--"

"I was joking." Shuri said and clapped her hand down on his shoulder. "There will be many more festivals and dances."

"For you and me?"

"The men and women may get jealous if I start picking favorites." Shuri said and slid her hand off his shoulder, and down his chest before patting his stomach, "But I'll save you a dance."

"That's all I can ask for." He says and watches her stumble towards her room, how could someone's drunken stumbling appear graceful? Eden turns around and would have headed towards his room if T'Challa wasn't standing right there holding up his pinky. "What's that mean?"

"My sister has you wrapped around hers already." T'Challa said and dropped his hand to his side.

"It's nothing like that." Eden says, but he has to second guess himself. He does enjoy her company, her stories, and his memories don't hurt nearly as much when he's around her. Is he wrapped around her pinky? Is he interested in finding out if there's more to Shuri outside of the stories other heroes have told him? Maybe the King isn't wrong but that's not surprising, T'CHalla is overly perceptive and probably more so when it comes to people around his baby sister.

"That's what they all say." T'Challa said and titled his head towards the Eastern wing of the Palace. "C'mon, I need your help testing something."

"Of course." Eden says and follows the King, but Shuri's still on his mind and so is the festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While it's nice to ride the #EveryBodyIsSmittenWithTChalla train, I like the idea of people falling for Shuri so fast they don't even realize it's happening. My baby boy Eden would be no exception.


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't do this forever, can I?" Shuri asked, Eden stood behind her as she looked over Wakanda. This was Wakanda in its raw form, it appeared untouched by time, it reminded her of the Djalia, her connection to the place continued to ebb and flow but lately she felt farther and farther away from it. She could barely sleep at her night, her body was wired and she feared that if she closed her eyes her tether to that special place would disappear completely.

"Depends on how long you plan on both of us living."

"I appreciate this, Eden, I really do." Shuri said. She had come to Eden as a friend and a desperate person, her hard work for Wakanda started to slip and even T'Challa was starting to notice but with all their foes coming at them at once she had to be ready. One day stone skin wouldn't save her, she would need more than a sturdy spirit. Eden agreed to take her to this place and kept her secret from T'Challa. From this point she could see the sun rising and just how it struck every spot in Wakanda.

"You must tell me about the Djalia."

"We have time now." Shuri said and patted the grass beside her, he took a seat and listened as she told him stories. He laughed, he cried, he lamented losses he couldn't feel but he empathized with her. There weren't many men like Eden Fesi, people willing to do the right thing, willing to risk their life with little to show for it. It was easy to laugh and cry with him in a way she couldn't with her brother or even her mother, they watched her as if waiting for her to turn to dust in front of their eyes. Eden didn't know her, he didn't know she liked to kill first and ask questions later, she'd leveled entire cities leaving few people alive. If he did he showed no prejudice, he didn't look at her like a hot headed young lady with still so much to learn.

"What's your favorite story?"

"There was a Queen who died in Wakanda. She spent her entire life training her body and mind, fighting by night and studying by day, and then one day she was chosen to become the next black panther." Shuri said and plucked at the grass under her fingertips, she twirled the longest piece between her thumb and forefinger as she looked out over her beautiful nation.

"What happened?" Eden asked curiously.

"The Panther God turned her away, but she did not die. She managed to save Wakanda, it would not be the first time or the last. This brash Queen, so full of hubris," Shuri said and laughed, she never imagined she would quote her God with familiarity instead of shame. "Learned compassion, not just for her nation, but for others. But the Queen loved Wakanda more than her herself and paid the ultimate price."

"She died."

"No, death would be too kind of a gift for the enemies of the Brash Queen to bestow upon her." Shuri said, and ran her fingers through the grass, her fingers accidentally bumping against Edens or so she told herself. It seemed she sought him out more and more times than she thought. "Before her disappearance she turned Wakanda over to someone she knew would do right by it."

"What happened to the Brash Queen?" Eden asked.

"You're looking at her." Shuri said, her fingers finding his, she rested her hand gently on top of his.

"I wouldn't call you brash." Eden said.

"I wouldn't call myself Brash either but it's what other people thought of me. And other people's collective thoughts tell your story." Shuri said. "History has taught me that."

"Why is that your favorite story?" Eden asked.

"It's not over yet, and the griot never told me how my story would end." Shuri said and looked away from Wakanda to stare at Eden. "I appreciate you doing this for me."

"Be that as it may you don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing." Eden said, "I don't expect anything.

"I know that." Shuri said and moved her hands away from his and closed the tiny gap between them. "I want you to know that you don't have to do anything because I'm T'Challa's sister."

"That's more reason not to." Eden said.

"This may have escaped your line of sight, but I'm a grown woman and I've made my own decisions. My brother is not my keeper." She said and after a beat of silence he leaned forward hesitantly and kissed her, what started off as soft and chaste, innocent pecks on the lips like youths first exploring one another became hot and hungry kisses, almost desperate for one another, never wanting this moment to end. He laid her down on the grass, and she enjoyed kissing him, touching him, becoming familiar with a man who had become a companion and friend in the past few months. He listened to her stories and fought by her side, she wondered just where he fit in her story and how long he would remain there. Shuri placed her hands on his chest, torn between pulling him closer pushing him away but she knew they were short on time and there was still work to be done back at the Palace. Shuri pushed him back breaking their kiss, he held himself up on top of her, she regretted stopping but knew they needed to return. "We need to get back."

"Of course, Shuri." He said and stood up and did his best to straighten out his clothes.

"You're not afraid of my brother, are you?" Shuri asked while he helped her off the grass.

"He's taken out men with his hands behind his back." Eden said and blinked a few times as if thinking long and hard about his answer, "But no, it almost seems like he wants to tell me something."

"My brother is full of his secrets." Shuri said as they stepped through the portal and back into the Royal Library.

"Like what, sister?" T'Challa asked.

"Where would be the fun in telling that?" Shuri asked and hurried off leaving Eden and T'Challa alone.

"So what mischief has my sister roped you into?" T'Challa asked.

"I've been sworn to secrecy on most of it." Eden said.

"Well tell me the parts you aren't sworn to secrecy about." T'Challa said and they made their own path through the Royal Library, bypassing the stacks of books as they headed towards the secret entrance to his office. 

"Well...we're dating."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think Shuri and Eden go to these secluded and mostly forgotten places of Wakanda mostly because she misses the stories and she tells him different stories about those places, and before long they're sharing their own stories with one another about their lives. I think Shuri has changed as a character but her passion has remained the same and so has her curtness. I also try not to make them speak so romantically but it happens sometimes so sorry about that.


	5. Chapter 5

Shuri's life has been one of many comparisons. If not comparing herself to her brothers, then it's her mother or even worse, her father. No one can hold candle to T'Chaka but she remembers her father telling her as a small girl to find a man who honors her and respects her and lets her choose her own path in life. Shuri has known love for her country, for her family, for her office but this is a different beast all together. Shuri has been a position that many have never had to worry about, she's been Black Panther and Queen. A King could choose any number of wives, but a single Queen, that is different. Wakanda is still stuck in it's ways in it's belief in how some women should act, Shuri won't doubt that, but it's hard to find someone who's interested in her and not in ruling Wakanda while disposing of her.

There have been countless men and women she's been with, mostly nameless and faceless individuals too incredibly forgettable. She's been in love and had her heart broken but she can't dawdle on such things. Watching T'Challa and Ororo go at it in such a way put her off the entire search for such a thing, she knows she can't compare herself to her brother and how he approaches anything let alone relationships, but what other basis for comparisons does she have? Her mother and father? It has been many years since T'Chaka has been alive and let alone showing her mother affection.

Ramonda is the great Queen, so wise, so perfect, every step she takes has purpose and every word dignified and so unlike Shuri in every single way she can think of. Shuri is the brash Queen; bold, brave and taking no prisoners and doing whatever called for it to save her country, even if it meant giving her own life. This is a time in her life when she should be able to go to her mother, there are too many orphaned children in Wakanda for her to not take advantage of having the Queen while she's here. Still there is much left unsaid between her and her mother from over the years, Ramonda never mentioned her death only commenting that it was nice to have Shuri back in the palace.

"Is there something wrong, Shuri?" Ramonda asked, she stood in the doorway of her office and gave her a soft smile.

"Wakanda is all wrong, all the time, it seems."

"Let me rephrase, child of mine, is there something wrong that I can be of help with?"

"Come in, please, mother, and close the door." Shuri said and Ramonda complied closing the door softly behind her. She took a seat across from Shuri and waited patiently as Shuri struggled with how to start. "We haven't talked and there is still much to discuss."

"I assumed so." Ramonda said, "What is it that you'd like to discuss? Since your return you've seemed lost in thought, I can see a great change in you, you don't seem to voice your every thought and concern. You've not taken to your brother for council either."

"This doesn't concern him." Shuri said, "For once this is about me."

"I see." Ramonda said with a knowing smirk.

"How did you know you were in love with father?" Shuri asked.

"I...well, your father was a kind and thoughtful man, your brother was but a boy back then. I suppose I just knew when I knew." Ramonda said and shrugged and then smiled up at her daughter, "Are you in love?"

"I'm not sure." Shuri said and stroked her chin, she knew love, knew what it felt like but this felt like something more entirely. There were countless men and women in her life, she'd loved a handful of them but this was more than that and that was concerning.

"I wasn't sure such a thing would ever happen for you, you've always had greater plans for this country and the entire world unknowingly." Ramonda said, "Love is not altogether involuntary, just because you fall in love doesn't mean you have to stay there, such things are just fairy tales we tell the children."

"I've noticed." Shuri said, "I was expecting a bit more wisdom from the Great Queen, to be fair."

"You were a great Queen, too, Shuri." Ramonda said. "But my relationship with your father is not your own, I hope you find the answer you're looking for."

"Thanks you mother, now I have to get ready for this silly re-introduction dinner T'Challa wants to have. My dying is one thing, but this is just nonsense on his end."

"You weren't dead altogether." Ramonda said and reached out for Shuri's hand catching it in her own, she seems something break inside her mother and remembers why she doesn't say such things around her. T'Challa is her son, there's nothing doubting that but Shuri is her daughter, her princess, a living memory of the love held between her and T'Chaka and so much like herself at times it hurts. "We all mourned your loss. There are people who missed you and others who think your being back is just a rumor and trick by the King." Ramonda said.

"Feels like overkill, mother." Shuri said.

"I assure it's just one of the day to day nuances that the Royalty have to deal with." Ramonda said and released Shuri's hand and left the room, she was left with confusing thoughts she'd rather leave alone. They gnawed at the back of her mind as she chose her dress, as she picked out her perfume and jewlery. Was it really as simple as just knowing? There wasn't anything more than just knowing? Was there a test or something she could do? There was no story in all of the Djalia about knowing when you're in love, is it just a feeling and out of all of her emotions at the time how would she be able to know if she wasn't making a complete fool out of herself.

"Sister, you look beautiful." T'Challa said.

"Were you expecting me to look like a slob?"

"You know that's not what I meant." He said and they stepped through the teleporter and into the Royal Dining hall where different chieftains were waiting, they stared up at Shuri as if she were a ghost, all conversations stopped and eyes fell on her and her alone.

"Did you think I'd die so easily?" Shuri asked and smirked before approaching her seat at the head of the table next to T'Challa's. "I heard a few of you were suspicious about my return. Let it be clear I'm flesh and blood, and was never really quite dead. If you want a lock of hair and a bit of spit on a q-tip, I can get you that too. Other than that, we can eat and discuss how you all can be of help to the King,"

T'Challa watched her closely through the dinner, she knew her brother saw through her performance. She tried to be the Shuri they remembered and feared, that piece of herself was still there but her heart wasn't in it. Her mind was too muddled by matters of the heart and she was sure if anyone understood it was her brother. They may have been day and night to the typical observer but they had more in common than many knew.

"Is something the matter?" T'Challa asked as they walked the palace grounds together. "Your mind seems far away."

"Are you and Ororo still playing this game..."

"What game?" T'Challa asked with a small smile growing on his face.

"Doing everything married couples do but get married again." Shuri said.

"That was a very complicated situation, Shuri." T'Challa said.

"How did you know you were in love with her?"

"She was all I thought about, all I wanted. There came a time when I just knew she's what I wanted and wanted her to have me." T'Challa said. "Have you been been bitten by the love bug, Shuri?"

"I feel much too old for such things, brother." Shuri said, she wasn't exactly forthcoming about her relationships when it came to her brother. In most cases there was nothing to talk about, a fling here and there and sometimes she got her feelings hurt and her heart crushed under the heel of some careless fool she liked.

"Don't let your journey away from us skew your perception of time, you're very young, Shuri." T'Challa said, "And if I can make time for such things I think such a young woman like yourself could."

"You've never been a woman, T'Challa. Let alone a woman who was the Black Panther and Queen of Wakanda all at once." Shuri said and stared at her hands, "There are certain...expectations."

"When have you ever cared about what was expected of you?" T'Challa said and reached over and pinched himself. "Am I dreaming? Does the great and magnificent Shuri care what people think suddenly?"

"Oh, shut up" She said and pushed him playfully. A portal opened up at the end of the Royal Gardens and they approached it slowly "Looks like your ride is here."

"I'll see you soon, sister. Thank you for playing along for the dinner." T'Challa said and waved to her before stepping through the portal and it snapped closed. Shuri took a seat on a bench near the orange daisies, she plucked one, knowing the gardeners would probably short circuit noticing one missing out of the bunch. Another portal swamped in blinding light opened and Eden stepped out.

"Shuri, I wasn't expecting you." Eden said and cleared his throat, he was wearing a suit but looked like he had been rolling around on the ground in it. It fit looser than she remembered and she was sure she saw blood on the collar of his shirt. "You look lovely.... beautiful."

"Thank you, there was just this silly dinner tonight." Shuri said, why was she explaining herself? For Panther sake she lived here and he didn't, she didn't have to explain anything to him.

"Which silly dinner?" He asked and took a seat beside her.

"Not the one where we all get dressed up and yell at each other, but the one where they all think I'm dead so I have to show up and eat and perform feats so they know I'm not a robot or a clone or something silly." Shuri said.

"I would have been here sooner but there was an emergency. All Avengers were necessary." Eden said after a beat of silence.

"There's no rush," Shuri said, "Besides, it gave me time to think."

"About how upset the gardeners will be about you picking their flowers again?" Eden asked and plucked the flower from between her fingertips. He had to know she let him take it from her, she was much too quick to fall for anything like that but she also knew he wanted her attention. Shuri had been staring at her knees for most of the conversation, she was a bit scared what she would say if she really got a good look at him. Now was as good of a time as ever she supposed as she finally looked up at him, he was twirling that flower between his fingertips and sniffing it as if it was the most lovely thing he had ever come across. He always seemed so frustratingly positive all the time, taking interest and enjoying even the smallest things, it's one of the things she loved about him.

Was this their moment? Was this when she would just know?

"I think I love you." Shuri said and Eden stopped twirling the flower and looked at her, she was prepared for him to turn her away, to tell her he didn't want anything nearly so serious with someone like her, at this point in her life she was used to it. The Black panther thing, the Royalty thing, it was too much for most people who weren't power hungry tyrants hell bent on destroying Wakanda. Instead he smiled at her, the same way he smiled after a victory or when she told him a funny joke. It was a boyish grin that gave her a glimpse of who he was before the Avengers and Nick fury.

"Thank the Gods, because I'm so in love with you." Eden said with a bright smile on his face. 

"And nothing is putting you off?" She asked a bit worried, of course she'd be worried, she was bearing her heart to a man who could literally open a whole in space and time and disappear never to see her again.

"Why should it?" Eden asked.

"I'm royalty, I'm a panther... I died,"She spoke those last two words softly, being with her was a liability. There was a chance she might acutally die the next time and there would be no crossing the bounds of time and space to retrieve her, "I might do it again, if the time comes." Shuri said, Eden stood up and held his hand out to her, she took it and he pulled her off the bench slowly.

"Unless you're secretly married to some rich Nigandan Prince, I don't see the problem." Eden said and pulled her closer to him, he raised his hand and placed the flower in her hair, Shuri tried not to laugh as he fussed with the arrangement of it until it was perfect. Eden was very kind and patient, he was a friend when she needed it and a lover as well. These were the moments, fairy tale moments as her mother would call them, that she enjoyed most. She knew this was the moment when she just knew it was real love, he accepted her and treated her like she was normal. No panther. No Queen. No one suspended in amber suffering from the living death. This was their moment, under the stars in the garden where he really made her feel there was more to his words. "Matches your dress, looks good on you."

"You deserve a flower too." Shuri said.

"You're trying to get me thrown out of Wakanda, your gardener isn't going to appreciate us tearing up all of Wakanda." Eden said playfully and pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you today."

"You were fighting the bad guys, you shouldn't have even had me on your mind."

"That's impossible." Eden said. "I have the best girlfriend ever."

"Say that again, I think I really like those words." Shuri said and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"You're the best, Shuri." He said and she kissed him on the lips softly. "And I love you."

"I love you too." Shuri said and she found herself meaning it, there were no lingering questions over right or wrong, or what exactly moment she should be looking for, this was it, this was love and she was glad she'd found it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if Eden is still an Avenger at this point but I'm sure he loves to help out if he isn't. Still, I think it's adorable, Shuri is such a loving, funny and passionate character and Eden is also funny and passionate and I think they'd both be very introspective (Shuri more so since she 'died' and came back and that's gotta fuck with your head) and cute and forthcoming. Sorry if the language is too flowery.


	6. Less Than One Percent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri had died before, she felt her soul leave her body and travel from one plane of existence to the next, but sometimes she’d also feel Eden’s eyes on her when they shouldn’t have been, and he’d stutter and stammer over his words when speaking to her and sometimes he said sweet little things to her that put a smile on her face and an extra lock around her heart. Men with words like his could be dangerous without evening meaning to be. Losing herself to war and losing her heart to love are two different things, two different pains, but if she can face down death she can face this, right?

Shuri has seen the end of days before, she’s fought and bled for it. When they first came for her, for Wakanda, on the hunch of that deranged maniac Namor, she turned over the sacred blade and the country to her brother and made him promise to put the blade where it belonged. She knew T’Challa wasn’t one for violence if there were other means, he was a man of ideas and words, but words and ideas didn’t win wars, didn’t resettle countries and establish long periods of successful ruling. Shuri saw the end of days, staving off the attack long enough for things to be settled. She was alone because she had to be, because that was her burden as Queen and Black Panther. Now this is completely different, she doesn’t have to face this alone.

 

“Eden.” Shuri said as they stood at the top of the hill, “We’re probably going to die.”

 

“Yes, we probably are.” He said and looked at their growing number of enemies as they poured in through portals.. “But it’s not something we both haven’t done before.”

 

“That’s very true.” Shuri said and looked at the throwing blades she had tucked carefully between her fingers. She had them upgraded, they’d explode upon impact and would slow down the group a bit. “The last time was different… I had no choice, I couldn’t leave my world to fall.”

 

“Of course you wouldn’t.” Eden said and leaned against his staff as the group of Avengers galloped angrily towards them. “You’re too noble.”

 

“And you’re a sweet talker to the very end.”

 

“Just saying what’s on my mind.” Eden said.

 

“And that’s all that’s on your mind?” Shuri asked, she didn’t look away from the growing group of Avengers. The chance of survival was bleak, what was the harm in considering this...whatever it was between them. Shuri had died before regardless of what T'Challa and her mother say, she felt her soul leave her body and travel from one plane of existence to the next, but sometimes she’d also feel Eden’s eyes on her when they shouldn’t have been, and he’d stutter and stammer over his words when speaking to her and sometimes he said sweet little things to her that put a smile on her face and an extra lock around her heart. Men with words like his could be dangerous without evening meaning to be. Losing herself to war and losing her heart to love are two different things, two different pains, but if she can face down death she can face this, right?

 

“I don’t think now is the time for that.” Eden said.

 

“Nonsense, now’s the perfect time, Eden, we’re going to die if you’re not completely convinced yet. People have crossed the threshold of space and time to do it.” Shuri said and looked to where Eden was standing but he was gone, when she turned her head again he was standing besides her. 

 

“There’s a chance we can live through this.”

 

“Less than one percent, but yes.” Shuri said, “And even I don’t want to gamble with those odds.”

 

“Things could get weird if we live.”

 

“Things are already weird.” Shuri said and he slipped one arm around her waist hesitantly, as if he was waiting for her to stop him. They stood there for a moment watching as death galloped towards them, as they faced the final frontier together. What was the worst that could happen? If they lived and realized they weren’t that compatible they could still be friends, and the best thing was that if they lived they could continue on together, see another day to fight together. “People are starting to talk.”

 

“Let them.” He said and turned to face her, he pulled her closer as if testing out what it felt like, not that he’d know the feeling for much longer, Shuri thought. Then he kissed her, it wasn’t altogether mind blowing like a first kiss but it wasn’t her worst kiss either. He handled her carefully, she had dealt with men like this her entire life, someone who was afraid her big brother would pop up behind them, men who felt like they would break her but Eden had to know she was more than a fragile Princess. Shuri wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, death was closing in on them but this was...different. It was nice, she liked it. She liked kissing him, running her fingers through his locs, and pressing her body against his own, learning the curves and dips of his body while he did the same with her own. 

 

Then his grip on her waist tightened and he began to lift her off the ground slowly, this was different too. She knew Eden was strong but he never made a huge show of strength, but then again, they were about to die, it was time to pull out all the stops. 

 

“We definitely can’t die now.” Eden said and placed her back down on the grass.

 

“What a bold claim.” Shuri said and stepped back and looked down at them approaching the hill. “Well you’re going to need to put on your best game face.”

 

“Will do.” Eden said, and that night they did not die but they did stare into the face of death and fight until they had nothing left to give. It wouldn’t be their first or last time doing such and many weeks later when their bones were mended and they were able to walk again they were able to talk where nurses, doctors and shamen weren’t listening. Eden rolled his shoulder a few times, it was odd for it not to be encased in a Vibranium container. “I’ve never broken a bone in my life, let alone my entire arm.”

 

“Shame.” Shuri said and showed her fully healed bones, “I’ve broken my arms and legs too many times to count.”

 

“That might make me irresponsible if I did that.”

 

“Irresponsible can be fun sometimes.” Shuri said, “But not when the world is involved.”

 

“Are we going to talk about that?” Eden asked.

 

“The fact we probably ended a world...somewhere.” Shuri said, “Or the other thing?”

 

“Definitely the other thing.” Eden said and stepped deeper into her lab. He sat beside her on the stool and looked down at her papers on her work bench. She was already cataloguing just how much damage they did to the parallel world that had come to attack them and trying to work out a way to contact that world. He placed his hand over hers, stilling her pen long enough to speak up while he still had the courage. “I like kissing you, Shuri.”

 

“I like ...being kissed by you,” Shuri said and tucked one of her locs behind her ear with her free hand. 

 

“And I like spending time with you, and if we held back that world long enough for the reinforcements, imagine what we could do as a team.” He said, Shuri looked up at him and that excited smile. It was hard to believe there were still people like Eden out in the world, good people, people who didn’t have to make sacrifices or think of strategies and sacrifice their humanity. She had come back from the brink of death and she wanted good things in her life, good people like Eden. 

 

“A team? I’m sorry, I can’t do the Avenging thing.” 

 

“No, not like that, I mean...a relationship. You could be my girlfriend.” He said. 

 

“You did say this would be awkward if we lived.” Shuri said and felt heat traveling up her neck. Shuri had dated countless people and fell in and out of love like it was going out of style and none were as excited as Eden. He had weeks to cool off and forget everything that happened but didn’t, he still wanted whatever was lingering between them and she wanted it too. But Shuri wouldn’t force it, didn’t want to sacrifice another person to the Wakandan cause, that was their duty to carry as Wakandan Royalty. “And you do meet the criteria.”

 

“You made a list?” He asked and cocked an eyebrow asshe slid the papers about the Alternate world out of the way and revealed a small graph, she created it  along with another paper that had pros and cons of the relationship along with a bunch of math he couldn’t quite understand. “Science doesn’t account for everything.”

 

“No it doesn’t, there were variables I didn’t add in.”

 

“Like?”

 

“Like you kissing me like that, and fighting back to back with me like that. That doesn’t necessarily mean everything will work out, that this relationship….this team… will be a good one.” Shuri said and looked between Eden and her own personal math. 

 

“We owe it to ourselves to try, you’re all I can think about. You’re the fearsome Aja-Adanna, don’t tell me you’re afraid of falling in love with me.”

 

“Oh, and there’s that too.” She said and made a change to her graph and added in some numbers.

 

“What do you mean? What was that for?”

 

“Your arrogance, it comes out in small doses, and it’s cute.” Shuri said and reached up and stroked the side of his face, he had a tiny knick in his face where he had been cut near his lip. She ran her thumb over the lightened scar before running her thumb over his bottom lip. “Besides, none of the other people I dated could teleport, this could be interesting”

 

“Is there somewhere you want to go specifically?”

 

“Your place...in Harlem. You’ve literally saved the world with us.” 

  
“And it’s time for you to return the favor?” He asked

 

“Oh Bast, no. It’s time for a vacation.” Shuri said and slid off her stool while he opened a portal, “Tell me one more thing.”

 

“What’s that?” He asked.

 

“When you killed your parallel self was it odd? It was odd for me, running a blade through...Shuri.”

 

“No, not really. I have a bit of a secret you’re not going to believe…” He said and ushered her inside the portal. The end of the world did not come but a new union and beginning did. 


	7. Is that what the kids are calling it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few interesting developments happen the night T'Challa and Storm re-marry.

Ororo and T’Challa get married, it’s inevitable really, or at least to Shuri it is. How two people so undeniably in love with each other manage to stay apart she can’t really say. Even Eden picks up on it, it’s not surprising that he’s at the wedding too, he’s become a good friend to them all but very good to T’Challa. T'Challa and Ororo twirl around on the dance floor, just like they practiced when Ororo all but threatened to kill them all if they stepped one toe out of line. Shuri has lived through this before, but Eden has not and Shuri feared that he was actually frightened of her. 

 

“Time to put on a show.” Eden said and took the glass of champagne from her hands and tossed it through a portal that he snapped shut.

 

“I did not come back from the dead to jump when Storm tells me.” Shuri said.

 

“But your brother would be disappointed.” Eden said, “He’s really wanted this too.”

 

“It's amazing how quickly she gets into people's heads.” Shuri said but took his outstretched hand anyway. The song wasn’t nearly the same as it had been in practice, it was slower and the other couples that drifted onto the floor with them melted into place, pressed against one another, swaying to the soft drums and piano playing as the singer crooned on the microphone.

 

“It’s...romantic.” Eden said, "What's not to get in the spirit for?"

 

“You’re such a big softy.” Shuri said as they began sway from side to side, the singer crooned on about love and destiny as if those two things meant anything or were even compatible. He placed one hand on her hip while he linked his other hand with hers, there was no point in keeping up this farce of dances and steps, everything was wrong but she could at least pretend for T’Challa and Storm. If there were two people more deserving of their happily ever after it was those two. 

 

“Something wrong with that, Princess?”

 

“Of course not.” Shuri said playfully and rested her head on his chest, “This isn’t the western world where men are afraid of their softer sides, it’s admired and even sought after here.”

 

“Even by you?”

 

“Why should such a thing worry you?” Shuri asked.

 

“Can’t spend your whole life alone, Shuri.”

 

“I don’t need a man to rule me, Eden, not that you seem up to the task anyway.”

 

“What’s that mean?” He asked.

 

“You seem too...nice.” Shuri said as if it were a character flaw. 

.

“But you don’t want a man to rule you,” Eden said, “And I plan on doing no such thing, besides, having manners is far from being nice.”

 

“Is there a dark side to you that I don’t know about, Fesi?”

 

“You almost sound interested in finding out.”

 

“I don’t spare feelings much these days, there’s no time or reason to. If I asked it’s because I’m genuinely curious.” Shuri said. 

 

“I’m just like anyone else, a good and bad side, I have my good days and my days were my temper are notorious.” He said.

 

“I’ll believe it when I see it. What are you going to do? Are you going to apologize someone to death?” Shuri asked and laughed softly, she had saw him do it to countless people working in the Palace. 

 

“You’re much funnier when you think no one important is listening.”

 

“Don’t downplay yourself.” Shuri said, “I consider you a trusted friend and so we laugh together.”

 

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days? We’re going to laugh ourselves silly?” He asked and chuckled alone this time. Shuri remained quiet listening to both the music and his strong heartbeat. He wasn’t nervous around her, he didn’t break a sweat, he kept his head in dangerous situations, and he was nice. Nice people were always overlooked in their world, they were a liability at times, but Eden wasn’t. He was an asset, one Wakanda was lucky to have as of lately. There were times where she imagined Eden staying for good but there was no ideas about him fighting by her brothers side, how odd was that. Eden in the library with her, eden eating breakfast beside her, waking up to find Eden there. When had things changed so much? “Shuri…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“The song’s over.”

 

“I’m aware, I have ears.” Shuri said and she had yet to move.

 

“People are starting to stare.”

 

“So let them.” Shuri said.

 

“By people I mean your brother and his wife.” Eden said and Shuri lifted her head reluctantly and looked over her shoulder to see that Eden wasn’t lying. Ororo was looking at them expectantly, waiting for them to drift off the dance floor like they were expected to more than thirty seconds ago, now they were cutting into Ororo and T'Challa's dance time. Shuri led him off the dance floor, tugging his hand carefully, she was still a Panther even if she didn’t carry the mantle, she could accidentally rip his arm off. 

 

“When are you leaving?” Shuri asked as they did their best to blend into the crowd, the attention was on her brother and Ororo again, Eden reached through a portal and pulled out two wine flutes and opened another portal and retrieved a bottle of champagne. 

 

“That your Wakandan way of asking me to get out?" He asked as he poured their drinks. 

 

“No, I’d just tell you to leave...colorfully.” She said and took the champagne he offered her.

 

“Then what’s the rush, don’t tell me you’ll miss me when I’m gone.” He said and started to drink, he choked on it as he was greeted with silence and a serious look from Shuri. 

 

“Of course I’d miss you.” Shuri said, “It would be awful boring without anyone to move my books around after I specifically asked them not to or scare me by meditating in odd places.”

 

“I’ll be sure to write it down in my diary that I was able to scare you.” Eden said and spoke again after a beat of silence, “What’s the real reason you don’t want me to leave?”

 

“I never said I wanted you to stay.”

 

“But you do, don’t you?” He asked and Shuri drank the rest of her champagne. 

 

“We’ll see tonight, depends on how nice you are.” Shuri said, and looked across the room as T’Challa and Ororo’s dance came to another end, she looked back to Eden to find him blushing. He kept a cool head mostly when she flirted but maybe she had touched on something that could finally make the perfect man break for a moment. “Was that too forward?”

 

“Never expected a Princess to say--”

 

“Aja-Adanna.” She corrected.

 

“Well, never expected an Aja-Adanna to say it either.” Eden said and sat the glass of champagne down knowing someone would come to collect it. 

 

“So what is your answer?”

 

“Won’t they question where we’ve ran off to.” Eden said and opened a portal.

 

“Let the newly-wed-again couple be happy, they’ll worry about it later.” Shuri said and stepped through the portal into his bedroom. It had a few touches from home, there was even a small portrait of Gateway sitting at the foot of the bed. “Tonight it’s about you and me.”

 

* * *

 

“Well….that was truly an experience.” Shuri said and looked over to Eden. He was lying on his back staring up at the ceiling with a goofy smile on his face. Of course Shuri had blessed many men and women with that smile during her time, she was glad she still had the magic touch along with other things. Eden slid one arm around her waist pulling her close to him, but he had put a smile on her face too, she was pleasantly surprised by his presence despite the amount of alcohol he had drank.

 

“That was.... an experience.” Eden said. 

 

“Better than I dreamed it would be.”

 

“You dream about me? I’m truly flattered Aja-Adanna.” He said and held her close to him. 

 

“You tend to exceed expectations.”

 

“You and your back handed compliments might get you in trouble one day."

 

“It’s not backhanded.”

 

“Just because you say it isn’t doesn’t make it so, Shuri.” He said and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Her Kimoyo bead vibrated and she tapped it twice, T’Challa began speaking. 

 

“... Can’t say I’m happy about these developments, Shuri.”

 

“What are you talking about now, old man? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your time with your wife?”

 

“I am, we will soon enough.” T’Challa said, “But remember that Eden is a good man.”

 

“Trust me, I won’t forget.” Shuri said and leaned over and kissed Eden, “And I promise not to break your favorite toy while you’re away.”

 

“I’ll hold you to it.” T’Challa said and the phone call ended, she looked over to Eden and shrugged.

 

“Does he think we’re dating?”

 

“I’m not sure, but I’m sure I haven’t had a love like that in many years. It would be odd for me to start now unless you desire such a thing.”

 

“How could I turn down a Princess?”

 

“The same way you call her compliments backhanded.” She said and he rolled her over onto her back and slid back between her legs. 

 

“I do have to leave soon.”

 

“Fine time to tell me.” Shuri said as he kissed her again.

 

“But it’s not quite long distance when I can walk through a door and travel across the world to see you.” Eden said.

 

“That’s oddly...romantic and reassuring.” Shuri said and cradled his face in her hands and looked up at him. “I will miss having your company and counsel.”

 

“Is that what the kids are calling it?” He asked and they both laughed together before slow descending into kissing again. Eden pulled back to breath, kissing was one thing but when she placed her hand on him and began stroking it was hard to think and resist whatever it was she was up to. “Is this...Are we… are we doing this for real?”

 

“Depends on what you’re referencing, Fesi.” Shuri said, “But regardless the answer to both is yes if you’re not scared.”

 

“What’s to be scared of?”

 

“I’ve made more enemies than friends in my lifetime, and so has Wakanda. There are people ready to rise from the dead to make me pay for what they consider to be my sins.” Shuri said and rolled her eyes, she thought about everything she had done and knew all those ghosts weren’t dead. “Is that something you can handle?”

 

“If you’re at my side, why wouldn’t I be ready?” He asked. 

 

“I’m serious, Eden, I don’t need anyone else getting killed because of me.” Shuri said “You may be meta, but you’re still human, you can still die.”

 

“I’m serious..” Eden said, his brown eyes sparkled with sincerity. Of course he was, she didn’t doubt that but she didn’t want him pulled into something with a different set of expectations. “How many people can say their girl is a Princess and mean it?”

 

“How many people can say their man walked across the Universe and risked his life saving them?” Shuri asked and didn’t wait for an answer, kissed him deeply and pulled the blankets over their heads. She wasn’t sure what the future would bring them but this didn’t feel bad, wrong, or like an omen of death like so many other things in her life. Besides, Eden was nice, she needed more nice people around her.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People are actually reading this? Hope you guys are enjoying my crackship. I also enjoy the idea of Bridezilla!Ororo


	8. Chapter 8

"The sky looks different over Wakanda." Eden said as he lay on the roof of the royal palace. He wasn't expecting Shuri to show up and by the way her skin turned to stone she wasn't expecting to find him there either. 

 

"I never paid attention to that until I didn't have our stars."

 

"Are they different over Wakanda?"

 

"No, but point of view is everything." Shuri said and came and took a seat beside him while he sat up slowly. She didn't come bringing messages from the King or stories as the Aja-Adanna. There was something else on her mind entirely but he could decipher what, it was interesting how different the former Queen of Wakanda was from the current King. "There was a time for war and then there is a  time for grief."

 

"Is it that obvious?" Eden asked, he tried to save as many people as he could but his best hadn't been good enough. People died, children were orphaned and wives widowed. Some died on impact, but the ones he waited with patiently in the hospitals afterwards died much more painful deaths. It may not have been his fault but that didn't ease the guilt.

  
  


"Not to most, this burden, you carry it better than my brother." Shuri said and placed her hand over his, sparks danced under her skin and he realized she was dangerous. She was so much more than a former Queen or even the Aja-Adanna, she was still a portal and he feared not just for T'Challa and Wakanda, but for Shuri. What if she was called back? If she had to live through such a thing twice, was that a possibility? As days passed the number of enemies Wakanda had grew, would they use Shuri as a weapon against not only T'Challa but Wakanda. She was so much more than just a member of the royal family, and she had grown to be a friend to him. Would there ever be a good time to tell her about this? "And that means I know how to spot it, he likes to sulk up high."

 

"Not sulking, just thinking." He said.

 

"You even sound like him." Shuri said, more static passed under the weight of her hand on top of his. "And that means I know there's nothing I can do, you will have to find a way to make peace with this yourself. You're a good man, so you will find a good way that satisfies all parts of yourself."

 

"Thank you, Shuri." He said and brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. The doorway inside her opened and closed, growing and shrinking at a head spinning pace, he could feel it. While he may have tried to escape his thoughts here on the rooftop maybe she was doing the same thing. He could sense the doorway in her at all times but it never moved like this, maybe something more was at work. "But maybe you came here to sulk too."

 

"I guess T'Challa and I have more in common than I would admit." She said and moved her hand away from his, placing it in her lap. "I suppose we could grieve together or we could celebrate."

 

"Celebrate?"

 

"Their lives, their sacrifices to Wakanda." Shuri said and stood up and held her hands out to him. 

 

"How?"

 

"Have you ever flown before?" She asked and he remembered Shuri and T'Challa disappearing in a tangle of black birds, only to reappear on the other side of the battlefield. He didn't know what Shuri had in mind but as he put his hands in her own he knew he trusted her, and the portal opening and closing inside of her at a rapid pace. She wrapped her arms around him and then they were gone, off into the night seeing Wakanda like never before. 


	9. faded ink.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because it's not a "real" otp if there's not a soulmate fic bouncing around somewhere on the interwebs.

The words are written across her left shoulder blade. She's spent countless time staring at it. It only confirms two things for Shuri, any damn body could be her soulmate and that she was going to be Queen one day. The idea of being Queen fueled Shuri's daydreams while being someones soulmate was placed on the backburner. Shuri did her best to ignore the words, but when she undressed or showered sometimes she saw the words in that stark black ink and lamented something she never had. Shuri became the Black Panther and eventually Queen of Wakanda and she died, or so she thought. In the Djalia Shuri asked the griot about her soulmate as they walked watching civilisations rise and fall but never seeing her own.

"You've got a life to live, you'll meet them." Her mother spirit said and left it at that. Shuri felt their arrival as they tore open the Djalia bringing her back to Earth, to her body, away from the living Death and the plane of Wakandan Memory. T'Challa swept her up in his arms as if she were still a small child who begged for piggy back rides. It's easy to see his worry for her has aged him, there are worry lines were there have been none before. Before she can tell her brother to take better care of himself she saw him standing not far from T'Challa.

"Who is your friend?" Shuri asked, she knew he was familiar, most likely an avenger of some sort. Yet another hero her brother either employed or one who was obsessed with him wanting to lick his boots or learn at the feet of the master.

"This is Eden."

"Queen Shuri, it's great to finally meet you." Eden said and her shoulder blade itches, the ink dissolves under her skin and he pauses too, touching the back of his neck.

"Likewise." She said and turned back to her brother, "T'Challa fill me in on what has occured while I was away.

* * *

Eden never expected to meet his soul mate, the ink is on the back of his neck and simply said 'likewise'. What type of greeting is that? How arrogant and annoying will his soulmate be to say something like that. Eden spent years fighting, honing his skills and the words on the back of his annoyed him, every person he bumped into, he checked to make sure the words were still there. Years passed, countries rose and fell, aliens came and died and earth still stood. Only upon going to Wakanda to help a desperate King did he feel something changing.

There are tales of Queen Shuri's valor, attitude, temper, spirit, generosity and kind heartedness. Seeing her incased in that amber prison with a look of utter horror on her face hurts in a way he can't explain. Eden has seen so much of the world, so many people and so much pain but her pain touches him differently. There are not many people willing to sacrifice themselves for their countries, which makes Wakanda so different and Wakandans so strong. Bringing her back fills him with a certain relief he can't put his finger on, he's never met her, and when the Avengers talk about her it isn't always fondly.

Then she freezes when he talks to her and only utters that word. Likewise. Of all the people who could be his soulmate it has to be the former Queen of Wakanda. Eden has heard of the horror stories, soulmates who were destined to meet but not to be together, he doesn't want to go through that or put his budding relationship with the King to the test. Instead it's Shuri who found him on the roof and came and stood beside him.

"I spent my entire life worrying about finding you." Shuri said, he sucked in a deep breath of air and considered flinging himself from the top of the building. She was a Queen and he was a man with half memories and not much to offer her at the moment. "But when I was young I knew I'd be Queen, so I worried about that, and then I died."

"You didn't die." Eden said softly, it hard to think of such a thing, while he was living his life she was drifting through darkness to some place so old and unknown. He felt himself being pulled tight and stretched thin when he traveled with T'Challa to bring her back, he knew there was a chance they wouldn't return and he made peace with that. If he could save one more person then that made his life worth it, even if it was lost among the tiniest hidden parts of the Universe. He never expected the life he saved to be his soulmate and he damn sure never expected her to be a Queen.

"I wasn't alive either."

"Fair enough." He said.

"We don't even know each other." Shuri said as if she was trying to talk herself out of this, as if there was a way to fight destiny.

"Would it be good to get to know each other?" Eden asked. "T'Challa has just gotten you back."

"This may have slipped your mind, but with all this gray hair I couldn't imagine how, I'm a grown woman. I can make my own decisions without my brother." Shuri said.

"So this is something you want to pursue?"

"There's a time and place fore everything." Shuri said, "Wakanda is in trouble, so now maybe not be the time."

"I've noticed." Eden said.

"But that doesn't mean I'm not interested." Shuri said, "Unless you have someone, after all, I have been dead to the world for Bast knows how long."

"You were very much alive." He said, "And no there is no one at the moment."

"Then hopefully we can continue this at a different time, nothing is certain during these times." Shuri said.

"Of course, Shuri." He said, the words felt odd in his mouth, she's royalty and should he address her as such? He expected her to walk away, or fly away or evaporate or whatever people who have visited the Djalia do.

"There is one thing I would ask of you and if you aren't comfortable you don't have to do it."

"What is it?"

"A kiss... Nothing is certain and I spent some time lamenting time lost with my soul mate." Shuri said.

"Oh sure...of course." He said and rubbed the back of his neck out of habit, he turned to her slowly, she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him. He expected a soft peck on the lips, he hadn't expected her to press her body into his, kissing him with what he could only describe as pent up emotion. His hands fell to her hips and tried to hold onto anything, but he found himself not wanting to let her go. "I don't think there's ever going to be a time or place for something like that."

"There will be time, I promise." She said and ran her thumb over his lip before giving him one more soft peck. "T'Challa also wants you to meet him in his office, he wanted to speak to you about something personal. I'll see you soon, Eden Fesi."

"Oh....sure." He said and watched her step off the edge of the ledge, his heart nearly flew out of his chest as he saw her fall and he rushed to the edge and saw her transform into a flock of black birds. He took two steps back and watched as she disappeared, blending into the night and swooping around the side of buildings as she made her way to wherever she was needed. As he opened a portal he thought about all he knew of Shuri, all the stories the Avengers told him, regardless of whether the stories were true enough this would be an interesting adventure.

* * *

 

There is never enough time to carve out a special place for themselves, to create a union. Eden would never ask her to look away from Wakanda just so they could have a moment. He returned to Harlem once Wakanda had a bit more stability, and he rubbed at the back of his neck frequently missing the ink. It's not that he wished he never knew her, he just knew living in ignorance was better than knowing your soulmate was right there but this simply wasn't a good time. He returned home after another futile patrol, making sure that any petty criminals knew better than to cross him or try to inflict harm on any of his new community. He stepped into a portal and into his bathroom, and showered trying to wash away any feelings of inadequacies. He couldn't save everyone and that was one of the reasons he became a hero, why was he still doing this? He hoped he was making the world a better place, he needed to believe that. 

"I never took you as a pajama type of man." Shuri said as he stepped out of his bedroom, he looked up to see her sitting on his counter top in his kitchen.

"Shuri? What are you doing here?"

"Why don't you look so happy to see me? I thought we grew to be friends." She said and hopped down off the counter.

"I am it's just... it's not everyday you find a Princess in your kitchen." He said and looked around, where were her guards, why was she here alone? Wakanda may have been stabilized but it was far from the point of being truly safe.

"No, I suppose it isn't. I try not to make a habit of coming in uninvited but the few times I dropped by you weren't home." Shuri said and walked over to him.

"I don't mean to be rude but there has to be a reason why you dropped by.... outside of to sit in my kitchen." He said and she stopped walking and folded her hands together, it was something he saw her do when she was nervous, instead of fidgeting she folded her hands together and held them that way. Why was she so nervous? Did something bad happen? Did he need to return immediately? Wakanda grew on him and he liked the place more than he'd ever let on, it was beginning to feel like home and for a citizen of the world that was a dangerous feeling.

"Yes, I came to apologize."

"For what?"

"I asked you to wait for me when I shouldn't have put that type of pressure on anyone, especially you." Shuri said, "Wakanda will never be what it once was under my father and my grandfather, the times have changed and we'll have to change with it. I'm tired of waiting for the perfect moment because no such thing exists. I just want this for us... for now." 

"Oh." Eden said and felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders, he didn't think himself unlovable but it was odd when your own soul mate put off your affections. It wasn't as if he wasn't a hot commodity in America but he spent his entire life being told by Gateway that he had a soul mate out there somewhere, someone was waiting on him. Now she truly was waiting on him, he had just sunk himself too far into his work to notice. "So this means..."

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" She said with a playful smile on her face. 

"I just need to know exactly what we're getting ourselves into." He said and held out his hand to her, she took it and followed him over to the couch.

"We're not settling down or anything yet." Shuri said.

"Don't worry, I haven't even bought a ring yet." He said and raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

"But I... I like you and I miss seeing you in the Royal Palace." Shuri said.

"You mean you miss me scaring you by stepping through portals?" He said and laughed.

"I do not get scared." Shuri said and wrenched her hand free from his own and swatted at his bare chest. "Just a bit confused."

"Are you confused about this? About us?" He asked, he couldn't help but notice that odd look on her face. She may have come to propose this idea of a relationship but it seemed that the words have weight that she hadn't considered.

"You're my soul mate, Eden. I don't want to lose you twice."

"You never lost me, Shuri." He said and placed his hand over hers.

"Easy for you to say, you've never died."

"Would seem that way." He said and after a beat of silence he spoke again, "I can't believe my girlfriend is a Princess, does that make me a Prince?"

"Only if I get pregnant."

"They'd never shut up about the mutant agenda then." Eden said and slid closer to her.

"There's no agenda." Shuri said and then looked at the small gap of space between them and then back at him. "I should probably go, you were probably going to go to sleep. I didn't mean to interrupt, I just didn't want to miss you again."

"I can stay up, it's no problem. I can even take you to Londell's." He said and opened a portal and reached through grabbing his clothes.

"Londell's?" She questioned.

"Serves pretty good apple pie."

"I'll have to try it." Shuri said, "Should I cover my eyes while you get dressed?"

"I'll meet you outside, that will save some of the mystery." He said and in the blink of an eye she was gone, he supposed he would never get used to her advanced human speed. When he stepped outside the Dora Milaje were standing beside her on the sidewalk. "I'm not sure why I thought you'd leave the Beloveds at home."

"It's a formality, nothing more." Shuri said as Eden walked towards her, "Now tell me about this Londell's..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the idea of mixing some stuff from the crew with a nation under our feet. I think Shuri in Harlem would be an amazing concept and Shuri and Eden would make a funny and sensible team. It would be interesting to see the stuff they get into if Shuri and him did patrols or uncovered some hydra plot in Harlem. Also, I wish there had been more of the Crew.


	10. Wants and Needs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eden sees what most people miss, especially when it comes to the former Queen of Wakanda

Eden saw the symptoms clear as day. He knew all too well when one exhausted themselves to the point they needed to sneak off and recover anywhere. Shuri put on a strong face, the one she’s been wearing her entire life: daughter, sister, Princess, Queen, protector of Wakanda. She’s strong when she shouldn’t have to be and he doesn’t know how to bring it up to her but when he finds her slumped over another ancient book he shakes her awake gently.

“Shuri.” Eden said.

“I’m awake.” She said but couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes.

“You’re exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re taxed.”

“Eden am I going to have to ban from Wakanda to get some peace and quiet?” Shuri said irritably.

“You’re no good to anyone dead, if you’re like this in the field you’ll be a danger to everyone and yourself.” Eden said, Shuri closed the book but still couldn’t manage to open her eyes. 

“I don’t like what I see when I close my eyes but I hate when they’re open.”

“I understand.”

“You do?” Shuri asked.

“I do.” Eden said and placed her hand in his own and lifted her from the chair, she shuffled closer towards him as he opened a portal. “You did the noble thing, the good thing, but now it’s time to do right by yourself.”

“But Wakanda…” Shuri said weakly.

“I promise I won’t let it fall for a few hours while you rest.” Eden said as they stepped into her bedroom, she made her way over to the bed with little fuss, falling face forward and pulling the blankets awkwardly over herself. If there was one thing he hated it was the exhaustion but worse was the guilt that came afterward. He knew about overworking himself and knowing it would never be enough, there was always a life he could be saving, someone’s mind he could be changing. He took a seat and stared down at Shuri and her head full of silver hair, he wasn’t exactly sure when he dozed off to sleep but when he woke up they were in the darkness but he could feel her staring at him.

“How long was I sleep.”

“I woke up an hour ago.” Shuri said, “I was going to wake you but you look like you needed it.”

“I need to take better care of myself, Gateway would be ashamed.” He said.

“He’d be proud.” Shuri said and turned her face half way into the pillow “None of this would have been possible without you, you know that, right?”

“I did what anyone would do.”

“I’ve seen lesser men with more power turn their backs, Eden.” She said and turned her face fully towards him. “We appreciate so say the magic words.”

“What magic words?”

“I’ll have to swear you to secrecy I’ve never had to beg someone to say you’re welcome.”

“You’re welcome.” Eden said sheepishly and shifted slightly in his chair.

“Well, you should probably join me in the bed. That chair can’t be helping you at the moment.”

“I didn’t expect this level of gratitude.” He said and smirked, Shuri laughed.

“My, my, I see it’s exhaustion that pulls a bit of humor and personality out of you. I will have to remember that next time.” Shuri said but continued to look at him until he moved from the sitting chair over to her bed, they lay like that for a while, taking in the silence and peace, and also the softness of the bed. Eden wasn’t sure when he last slept in something wasn’t a chair or couch of some sort. 

“This is nice.”

“The peace and quiet? Yes, I do miss the times when Wakanda wasn’t always distressed.”

“I meant laying beside you but the quiet is nice too.” Eden said.

“Is this how you going to act every time I let you into my bed? Try to quote poetry at me?”

“There’s going to be a next time?” He asked and they both laughed then groaned as a heavy knock cut straight through their good time. Shuri moved to answer it but Eden placed his hand on her back and stopped her, he was at the door in a second, moving through one portal into the next with ease. 

“Shuri, your Kimoyo was--” T’Challa stopped talking and blinked a few times as he stared down at Eden. “You’re not Shuri.”

“She’s sleep.” Eden said. 

“Be that as it may, I need you both in the ready room. There’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you both.” T’Challa said and then rushed off, when Eden looked back Shuri was already up and moving around. 

“He said there’s something important to discuss.”

“Probably another thrice damned risen God, no doubt.”

“Didn’t seem that serious.”

“Then it’s probably real estate.” Shuri said and sighed heavily, “Let’s go.” 

“Of course.” Eden said and began to open a portal when she smacked the back of his hand.

“Nuh uh, none of that. We’ll walk there, let T’Challa stew for a minute.” Shuri said and Eden shrugged and walked beside her as they crossed the palace, Eden grew more curious with each passing second. What had the King been hiding?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What thing am I referencing that Shuri has done? Not really sure. But I wrote this long before the latest issues of Black Panther came out and glad to see I'm heading somewhat towards the right direction, even in my crackfics.


	11. What is going on?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri will always be his baby sister, even when she sacrifices herself to the world or when she falls and scrapes her knee. The innate need to protect and shield her is always there, it has always been there, especially when she's dating.

Shuri will always be his baby sister, even when she sacrifices herself to the world or when she falls and scrapes her knee. The innate need to protect and shield her is always there, it has always been there, especially when she's dating. Shuri never chose to marry and settle down, Wakanda was all she needed but this is different. The men and women Wakanda have kept her preoccupied and found it difficult to keep up with her, Shuri moves at a speed all her own. Her ideas supercede what T'Challa thinks is even possible at times, but she always finds a way, and sometimes that means cutting off certain relationships but this is different.

Eden is patient and not so easily swayed by her royal status, her diplomatic tongue and manipulative ways. T'Challa likes Eden, he knows the world owes Eden more than they could ever know but those senses of his begin to tingle. What if this time is different? What if it isn't Shuri who is cutting someone, but it's the other way around, or worse, what if it is more? What if it ends the way he and Ororo did all those years ago? He knows Shuri's relationships are not his own but they do think alike in some ways, there is evidence in the fact of many of the decisions they make along with being siblings.

They read together in the library, take lunch in the Royal Gardens, go out to clubs at night in Wakanda and sometimes they borrow his inventions to travel back to the Djalia. Shuri is not only sharing herself and her ideas, but all of Wakanda, and that is different and it worries him. He doesn't know what type of reputation Eden has but those senses of his tingle, now he's always on edge, looking for the fault in Eden where there are none. Nothing has changed in his relationship with Eden, but Shuri will always be his baby sister, even when she faces off with a God or is caught staring at Eden so hard T'Challa thought the man would fall apart at the seams.

"Are you in love?" T'Challa asked when they were alone in his office one day.

"Are you, brother?"

"Does he treat you well?"

"Does Ororo treat you well?" Shuri asked flippantly with a smirk on her face.

"You know she does... you know the situation."

"Ah, now I see." Shuri said, "It is something the King doesn't know or understand and it bothers you."

"Not as the King, as your brother."

"It does feel different but emotions are like that." Shuri said and grabbed some of the fruit on the platter. "I care for Eden, he is special but you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"I promise I won't break your favorite Avenger." She said and laughed.

"It's not him I'm worried about." T'Challa said, "Despite all you've faced, you're still so young, you have so much more of the world to see, and there's much you haven't experienced."

"You sound like father." Shuri said and snorted, "Relax, I'm fine. We're fine, we're not head over heels in love, but if we were, what would you do about that, brother? I'm curious."

"GIve you my blessing." T'Challa said.

"One day, and I pray it comes soon, you may get over yourself." Shuri said and stood up heading towards the door, "I don't know how Ororo tolerates you all the time."

"In small doses."

"I'll have to remember that."


	12. Chapter Twelve - Happy Birthday!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri has a surprise for Eden. If he's insistent about being a vigilante then the least she can do is get him a few things that will help.

New York City was louder than the Capital city back home and Shuri was already hating the place. She remembered her trip to America had been tainted by death threats and a rebelling country, those feelings would always linger at the back of her mind when she was away. She slid out of the jet and walked down to the house with the gift under her arm. She cloaked the jet before knocking on the door.

She knocked, and knocked, and knocked but received no answer. If he wasn't at home he was most likely patrolling the streets, taking to vigilantism. Shuri took in his scent and began to walk, she passed children and families that looked much like her own Wakandans back home. She passed a restaurant and reached an underpass where she spotted him in yet another battle with the cop bots they dispatched in the area.

"I brought you a gift!" Shuri called out to him.

"I'm a little busy right now, baby." He said and knocked one of the bots to the ground while stepping through the portal. Shuri pulled out a collapsible spear and rushed over to the group of bots, she struck one from the back while drawing the other out into the middle of the street. She and Eden worked back to back, taking out two more bots, leaving just two more to deal with. "Ri, you don't have to do this."

"I'm aware." Shuri said and charged at the bots, throwing her spear into the center and tossing the impaled robot at the other one watching as the spear exploded taking down both of them. "Happy Birthday."

"I've never been big on birthdays but thank you, was the fighting my gift? or was it seeing you" He questioned while pulling his hood back on.

"Neither." Shuri said and handed him the box.

"You wrapped it up? You didn't have to do that." He said, it was wrapped in a shimmering purple paper.

"Of course I didn't have to." Shuri said with a smile, she crossed the street and Eden followed behind her as she made her way to the window of Londell's. "So this Londell's."

"Makes good pie." Eden said as he held open the door open for her. When they reached a free table Eden opened his gift, they were a pair of gloves that matched his suit. He had learned all too well that nothing was as it seemed when it came to Shuri. "You bought me gloves?"

"Not good enough for you, rockstar?" Shuri questioned and took one of the gloves sliding them onto her hand, he watched as the gloves shrunk to fit around her hands, she held her palm flat and a holographic map of Harlem popped up along with a map of all the people in the area with electronic devices.

"That's amazing, this will help me track others who need help." He said.

"And that's not it." Shuri said and held out her hand and he felt his spear leaving his hand and snapping into her gloved hand. "That way we don't have any problems when you're out there saving lives, not to mention I installed them with a electrical grappling effect so you have that extra kick."

"You made this for me?" Eden said, he knew she was busy spearheading a lot in Wakanda but had carved out time to make such  a thoughtful and time consuming gift. 

"I may not agree with the whole running through the street like Batman but I don't want to see you hurt." Shuri said, "These gloves are just part one of your gift."

"What's part two?"

"Me." Shuri said, and then moved to order her food. She returned shortly with ice cream and ignored the way people snapped pictures of them at the table. There was a growing group of reporters outside the restaurant. "The ice cream is pretty good, try some." She gave him some of the ice cream, feeding him as he remained distracted between the gloves

"Thank you for this, it has been a great birthday." Eden said.

"Then let's go home and make it official."

"But the press..."

"I've dealt with the press my entire life this is nothing. Besides, isn't teleporting your thing?" Shuri said, "Lets go, birthday boy.

"What do you want to do on your birthday?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something, dear." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was happily surprised to see that Eden and Shuri had at least hooked up at the beginning of Shuri #1. Let the good times roll (well... as far as they can with them being in such a predicament.)


	13. Send me Flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gratuitous touching, flirting and science!

When Wakanda is stable Shuri returned to her lab and her experiments. She has been so much to so many people that its odd to remember that she had loved inventing, that her brother had fostered that love of science deep within her from a young age. Eden is a willing guinea pig, he enjoys testing out her latest non-lethal experiments. He was having more fun than she anticipated in the anti-gravity boots. He jumped, walked the walls, stepped through portals before returning before her.

"My legs didn't fall off and it didn't fall apart while dealing with inter-dimensional traveling, and it didn't, y'know, explode or anything." Eden said and unlaced one of the anti-gravity boots which looked like typical sneakers. "Seems like a success."

"Would appear so, I'll save them for later training during combat." Shuri said and rubbed the back of her neck, it had been bothering her but then again she had been up late, and was running on Wakandan steroids for the past three days, she might need to actually sleep in her bed soon.

"Are you alright? You've been rubbing at your neck all day."

"Just slept it on it funny, probably." Shuri lied, she didn't like when he, or anyone, made too much of a fuss over her. It's why she and T'Challa hadn't talked in quite a while, he was adamant about apologizing and going through family therapy to deal with their 'issues'. Why couldn't he just understand she made decisions that had ended with them saving Wakanda? Wasn't that good enough?

"I've been told I have the magic touch." Eden said.

"By who?" Shuri asked, and he simply smirked at her, "Is that another one of your teleporting jokes?"

"Maybe it went over your head." Eden said and stepped forward, "If you're comfortable with it."

"Sure, of course." Shuri said, she was sure she spent more time with Eden than T'Challa did. If it wasn't some covert operation then he was normally here with her, in the lab, or the library, or the kitchens, or out and about in Wakanda. There was nothing odd about this, friends gave each other massages, right? She had done this countless times with her other friends. However, their hands on her shoulders had never felt this good, her entire body didn't seem to hum in delight at their touch. He worked on one of the taught muscles in her neck and she was tempted to purr in delight. Why had he never offered these services before?

"Shuri, relax. I'm not going to hurt you, as if you'd let me." Eden said, his voice closer to her than it had ever been before. It didn't count when they were fighting on the battle. Maybe she was just exhausted, maybe she just really really needed this right now. In any case he had mistaken her delight for tension, thank Bast. "Something's telling me you didn't sleep on your neck funny."

"What makes you think that?" Shuri asked while leaning on him, her back resting against his solid chest. If he wanted to, he could snap her neck but he didn't. Only pleasure. No pain. He twirled his thumb at the base of her spine in such a fascinating way.

"I've given my fair share of massages."

"Silly me, and here I thought this was just for me." Shuri said sarcastically.

"It can be, but you shouldn't work yourself into the ground."

"You're one to talk." Shuri said, she was tempted to arch into his touch. Oh Bast, these cat like reflexes were finally coming to bite her in the ass. Everything was heightened in the moment but she was more than sure he hadn't noticed, Eden was adorably unaware of certain things, it was why she preferred his company. It was that or he was playing along with her. "You work just as hard as I do."

"Color me impressed the Princess has noticed what I do."

"Oh, Eden, you know we're friends and I hate that name." Shuri said, his massage had started to move away from her neck and over to her shoulders.

"Of course, Shuri." Eden said and then suddenly there was nothing but she heard a crashing sound coming from the ceiling and looked up to see Eden dangling from the roof by one of the boots. She couldn't help but laugh as he opened a portal quickly and staggered out.

"I see it has it's draw backs." Shuri said while giggling.

"Seems they're mood activated."

"Well color me impressed Eden, that I could send you flying." Shuri said and summoned the boot from him. "Ready for the next experiment?"

"Always."


	14. Forever isn't long enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Shuri and Eden knew each other for a much longer time?

Shuri turned sharply around the corner, she was playing a game of hide and seek with T'Challa. Maybe he had forgotten they were playing again, or perhaps he was the best hider she had found so far. She leapt over the balcony railing, sliding down a pole and shimmied across the roof making her way to the garden where T'Challa took his tea. Instead of finding him alone he was there with her mother, and another man and a young boy. She shimmied towards the edge of the short roof so she could listen to what they were saying.

"... Thank you, Queen Ramonda." The older man said.

"No thanks needed, Gateway" Her mother said. "You and young Eden are welcome here and beyond the walls of the palace. My late husband wouldn't want it any other way."

"What do you say, Eden?" Gateway asked.

"Who is that girl watching us?" Eden asked and everyone looked to the roof where Shuri was peering at them. One of the Dora Milaje leapt over to the roof, scaling the wall quickly and carefully pulled her down as she fought against her.

"Shuri, I have told you a million times to stay off the rooftops. You are a princess." Ramonda said while scolding her.

"So." Shuri murmured under her lips as Okoye sat her down.

"Shuri." Ramonda said, using her name as both a promise and a warning of much more scolding later.

"Fine." She said and rolled her eyes. "I'm Shuri, Princess Shuri.... strangers."

"Shuri!" T'Challa said and shot his sister an exhausted look. "This is my little sister, Gateway. I'll be glad to have Eden step in on the training."

"So some boy gets to train but I have to be--" Ramonda glared at Shuri and she snapped her mouth shut. "Fine. Mother."

"I"m Eden." The boy said and held out his hand, she shook it and then started to lead him away slowly from the crowd.

"Since you're going to be living in my house, I'll show you around." Shuri said and tugged on his arm pulling him away before anyone could stop them. "Where are you from, you don't sound like us."

"Austrailia." Eden said.

"What were you doing there?" Shuri asked.

"Living." Eden said. "Gateway is going to teach me things so ... we're here... now."

"Teach you what? Ettiquette?"

"I'm not sure what that is." Eden said and half shrugged.

"Mother said it's to make you respectable."

"I respect me just fine." Eden said.

"That's what I said." Shuri said, relief flooding through her. Finally, someone understood her without her having to go too far into her limited feelings.

"A long time ago, not too long, I got lost and Gateway is going to make sure I don't get myself lost again." Eden said.

"Well if you get lost I'll find you." Shuri said, "We don't get many friends in the palace, we can be friends."

"I'd like that, haven't had many friends since I left home." Eden said sheepishly.

"Why are you being so shy?" Shuri asked.

"I'm different, people like me... others don't understand."

"Then make me understand." Shuri said, they had wandered deep into the palace, turning corners, walking through doors with just the right amount of speed to keep others off their trail. . Shuri knew nearly every inch of the palace and just how to lose the scent of her family and the royal guards. They were in one of the countless sitting rooms in the palace and it was silent, only the sound of their uneven breathing could be heard.

"You asked for it." He said and a bright light surrounded them both and he pulled them through and into the other side of the room.

"Eden..." Shuri said and placed her hand over her chest, a small smile spreading and growing wildly, "That was amazing! Think of the hero you could be, the people you could save. You could go anywhere!"

"I guess." He said and leaned against the tiny staff Gateway had whittled for him, he smiled softly while leaning against it. "You're the first person to think so."

"Doesn't Gateway think it's cool?"

"Discipline, boy!" Eden said mocking Gateway, "That will bring you more pain than gifts."

"Sounds worse than mother." Shuri said as the laughter died on her lips.

"Your mother seems nice, nicer than Gateway." Eden said.

"Things have changed since father died, she's the same but different. Hurting." Shuri said and furrowed her brows as she tried to put it into words, she could see how the death of her father affected her mother, moments where Ramonda thought Shuri wasn't watching she saw her at her most vulnerable."She thinks I don't see it, but I do."

"I'm sorry about what happened to your papa." Eden said and Shuri looked down to see they were still holding hands.

"Me too." Shuri said. "T'Challa said it's the burden of King, but he's hurting too, doesn't talk as much as he used to."

"Will you become Queen?"

"Don't be silly." Shuri said and dropped Eden's hand and he followed her across the room as she walked. Head high, back straight, he wondered if all Princesses would be like her. They already had large shoes to fill. "T'Challa will be King, he will have to die first, and if I can barely find him in the palace what chance does the world have of killing him?"

"You must be right Princess Shuri."

"Just... Shuri." She said. 

* * *

 

"I've barely broken a sweat, Eden." T'Challa said as Eden ran at him, blocking his blows, getting inside and opening a portal right underneath the King of Wakanda. T'Challa fell through and landed right in front of Eden's blows, T'Challa flipped backward, kicking Eden in the process and sending him stumbling backwards. Eden caught himself and ran back towards him and froze when he heard the chiming of the bell. "You're getting better."

"My bruises say otherwise, T'Challa." Eden said.

"No one becomes a world class fighter over night." T'Challa said and held out his hand to Eden and he took it, moving from his awkward crouching position, "Nor should you trust the person who tries to sell you such a dream. Will you be busy today? There is something I needed to ask you about."

"I have something I must attend to." Eden said and he and T'Challa split up, he looked over at his watch and knew he had probably missed his opportunity. He stepepd through the portal and directly into his shower, when he was finished he rushed through the palace, checking her usual hiding spots but ran into the Queen instead.

"Eden, have you seen that daughter of mine?" She asked.

"No, I was looking for her actually."

"Let her know there's something we must discuss when she returns." The Queen said and made her rounds around the room, greeting those who passed her before disappearing entirely. Eden nearly gave up, he headed up the roof of the palace, he enjoyed spending his nights there when he wasn't training abroad or at the palace. She was sitting precariously close to the edge.

"Your mother is looking for you." He said. 

"Who do you think I was avoiding? Don't get me wrong I love my mother, but she's always saying little things, trying to to change who I am." Shuri said and then began to mock her mother, " ' _Oh, Shuri, don't be so crass. Oh, Shuri, don't say that. Oh, Shuri, behave like a Princess!_  'I think it's fairly obvious I'm not the daughter she wanted but I'm what she has, so she needs to tolerate me at least. This is who I am."

"Your mother loves you." Eden said, he felt like this was a conversation they always had. Shuri while never feeling the need to prove herself, had always felt like she was constantly at war with the old ways Wakanda saw women like her. She was on the cusp of womanhood and they'd rather she sit back and do nothing, there was no way that would ever happen.

"I'm sure you didn't come here to tell me that." Shuri said and stared up at him as he came to sit beside her.

"No, I... I didn't know how to tell you this." Eden said.

"Just say it." She said after a few unnerving moments of silence. 

"I'm leaving."

"You're always leaving." Shuri said and punched him playfully, "But you'll come back right?"

"Shuri, I don't think I can come back from this. Whatever I'm starting, it's big, bigger than me, and I can help save the world." Eden said, "Or some of it, and if I'm not doing that then what's the point?"

"I can't really argue with that." Shuri said and drew her legs up closer to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "I do want you here, you're my friend."

"But I don't belong here, I'm not a prince or princess." He said, it was something he reminded her often. He wasn't a royalty, he didn't belong in the Royal Palace, but she'd only laugh and loop their arms and walk deeper and deeper into the Royal Gardens. There was no escaping, no walking and running through the palace until they were dizzy. He didn't want to leave but he had to.

"Of course not, you're a terrible Princess. Remember that time when I had you pretend to be me while I snuck out and mother was so mad." Shuri laughed softly.

"T'Challa threatened to break my ankles if I ever did that again."

"Have you told him yet?" Shuri asked, he could hear that edge in her voice, she loved her brother but they were coming to the crossroads of being tolerable. He was King and there was jealousy even in the way she spoke about him. Even now, her eyes watching him closely, just to see if he was more loyal to her than the King. 

"He's the King, he has bigger worries and will find out soon enough." Eden said, playing it off. "But we're best friends, Shuri. I wanted to tell you first."

"I appreciate your honesty and transparency." Shuri said, "Who knows what I might have done if you never came back home to me?"

"Of course, dear." He said sarcastically, word traveled Wakanda and abroad that they were dating. That hadn't been the case, not that he hadn't thought about it. At one point in time they shared every waking moment and were nearly joined at the hip. Shuri was smart, funny, charming and so strong and full of faith when it came to herself and her country. But she was a Princess too, and he was a mutant. He knew what people thought and said about Ororo, whispering of the mutant agenda when they passed people in the crowds. He wouldn't do that to Shuri, not that she liked him like that at all.

"Are you leaving tonight?" She asked.

"Gateway said I could leave as soon as possible." Eden said and Shuri sighed, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. His skin burns, not from his tense practice fight with T'Challa, the scalding hot shower, or the feverish way he ran through the halls looking for Shuri. It was this, it was her and she didn't even know it, or he didn't think so. Saying anything now would just make him seem like a horny coward, using his impending mission to get into her pants. He wanted so much more than that, more than hurried fumblings at the last minute. He wanted her completely, reading in the library and staying up late at night sparring, he wanted forever with her but that wasn't nearly long enough.

He believed he loved her.

What an awful time to come to this realization.

"Until we meet again, Fesi." Shuri said and he left quickly, heading out into that big, wide frightening world to face something he'd never fought before.

* * *

 

"What took you so damn long?" Shuri asked, she was in America on a good will mission and now she was also the Queen of Wakanda. Princess Regent. Fuck it all, she didn't know what title to use, not that it mattered, she was running things and doing the best she could. T'Challa was out of comission, the country was falling apart at the seams and she was holding it together through sheer willpower, so when she got a message from Eden saying he was nearby she needed the distraction, even just for a moment. Something or someone from a simpler time when she had the audacity to be jealous of T'Challa and the mantle he wore like a crown when it felt more like a shackle around her neck.

"Sorry, Shuri, I mean... Queen Shuri." Eden said and stepped into the hotel room and did a mockingly low bow.. She sat up at looked at him for a moment before laying back on the bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for the very world to crumble around them.

"I'm not... that's not how it works."

"It is." Eden said and sat beside her on the bed, his hair had grown longer and he had grown slightly taller, but he was still the ball of nervous energy he had always been. This time he looked decidedly more comfortable than she did. She sat up slowly and noticed his scent, something she had never been able to detect before. It was an enticing scent, something she had never experienced before, it created an unfamiliar hunger in her. Strange. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm making sure everything's alright." Shuri said and stood up, walked across the room and grabbed the drink she left on her desk.

"That was...you're nearly as fast as me." Eden said commenting on her new speed.

"I don't pay attention to the speed anymore." Shuri said and shrugged.

"Now I know something is wrong." Eden said, "You liked being Black Panther, or the thought of being the Black Panther. And you love Wakanda, so why are you acting like this?"

"I'm not the real Black Panther." Shuri said and drained the glass, the sting of the alcohol hitting her throat, "Bast denied me."

"Why would.. how... how are you here?" Eden asked and sat up straight, no longer lounging on the bed. He knew what supposedly happened to those Bast deemed unworthy. She and her eternal soul should have been situated in the belly of Bast right this second. He stood up and stepped through a portal and was at her side, "You weren't just lying to me all those years, right?"

"No, no, never that, not about Bast." Shuri said and shook her head as if trying to shake the memory away. "Wakanda needed someone and I was good enough, I guess, I got lucky."

"Doesn't mean you won't be a good ruler, Shuri."

"What does it mean then? Every Black Panther that has been chosen prior to this has been chosen to... has been accepted, but I wasn't even..." She poured another glass of alcohol and sighed. "What brings you here, to DC anyway?"

"A pit stop onto somewhere else." He said remaining vague. It wasn't exactly true, it was far out of the way but he  _missed_ Shuri and being with her reminded him just how much. 

"You tell your crew?"

"They know enough."

"Ooh, is Eden keeping secrets from his team? What if they think you're having a sordid affair and get curious?"

"Well I'm sure Nick Fury would--"

"Shit, Eden, Nick Fury? The Nick Fury? The one who was basically disavowed and banned?" Shuri said. "Do I want to know what you've gotten yourself tangled up in?"

"I'm fighting the good fight, I promise."

"Aren't we all?" Shuri said and sipped her drink. "Did you bring me anything while you were away?"

"I know you'd ask." He said and fished out a small square shaped box, "It's a rare shark tooth, got your name carved in it."

"Thank you." Shuri said and flipped the lid, staring at the shinny set of teeth before closing it and offering Eden her drink.

"You know I don't drink and teleport."

"C'mon, it's your birthday, live a little." Shuri said and who was he to resist, he never had been able to, even when they were younger. He took the drink and walked over to the window that overlooked Washington D.C.. "Ever gonna tell me what you've been up to all this time?"

"You first." He said, the drink was stronger than he thought it would be and soon she was standing beside him.

"We lost T'Challa, that was hard, but he came back to us. Wakanda is in the midst of Civil War and--"

"I meant with you." Eden said and nudged her, "You're more than the Kingdom, more than your country. What have you been doing since I left?"

"Training, creating, delegating, just small things I guess."

"Taking on the mantle is no small feat, but I'd like to go toe to toe with you, see how I'd fair."

"That wouldn't be fair to you." Shuri said and he could hear the smile in her words, the world below them scurried on as they tried to catch up. Both their worlds demanded their attention while they tried to catch up, tried to hold up the facade of normalcy. Damn him to hell if he didn't miss these moments between them. "The herb I ingested has given me a bit of an edge over you. Even now I'm noticing things I haven't before."

"Like?"

"How good you smell." Shuri said. and rested her head against his shoulder, "I could find you if we were planets away from one another."

"Now you're being facetious."

"Only a little bit though." Shuri said, a comfortable silence fell over the room as she rested against him. It was incredibly comfortable and reminded him of a simpler time before HYDRA, Nick Fury, Maria Hill and the Warriors he helped transport. He thought of Wakanda, sweet smelling roses, training in the hall with T'Challa and chasing after Shuri and doing his damnednest to keep up with her, even now, she was a Queen and he had to grovel slightly to get access to her. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Just remain calm in all of it." Shuri said, "The world is falling apart and you're here with me, when you could be helping."

"World is always going to fall apart, have to find time to relax, or make time." Eden said and wrapped one arm around her shoulder pulling her close, she might be able to track his scent across the Universe but he missed her, missed the way she smelled; a soft, clean smell, it reminded him of the orange daisies Shuri loved once. He did his best to put her and his other friends out of his mind, but he had really really missed her.

"I missed you, Eden. A lot more has happened since you left, I wish there was enough time to talk, to really talk."

"Well let's talk, we can at least get started." Eden said and they walked to the center of the hotel room and sat across from one another on the faux leather chairs, they talked well after the sun set and Eden knew he was cutting close on time, and for the first time he felt torn between his duty to the world he swore to protect and to his friend. Shuri and he were still friends, right?

"I've talked your ear off, I guess." She said.

"I do have to go but we can talk more, phones are still a thing." He said and held up one of the burner phones he had on him.

"Take this." Shuri said and handed him a kimoyo. "We can talk, don't be a stranger."

"You either." He said and stepped through a portal leaving her alone. He had never quite felt lonely before, but Shuri was his friend, one of his best friends he might say, Word traveled about the baby sister of T'Challa but none of the stories matched up to what he knew. Shuri was softer and friendlier than the person in any of those stories but he saw how worn down she looked, maybe she was changing, maybe they both were.

* * *

 

Shuri doesn't sleep much, it is one thing to call for the death of millions and another thing to live through it. She knows what it's like to have them pull the dead from the water, she told herself Namor brought this on himself, it's the damned truth but a hard one she has to live with. So she is surprised when she sees her bedroom bathed in golden light, she moved from one end of the Palace to the other. Couldn't stand to take her brother's old apartment now that he was living in the Necropolis.

"What the... Shuri?" A familiar voice said, she had been laying in bed, not sleeping much. The least she could do was lay there until the sun rose, but she hadn't expected Eden, had been up and on her feet and knocked him back onto his back quickly.

"Shit, Eden, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was told I was always welcome, had stored some things here." Eden said, Shuri had her hands wrapped around his throat while she straddled him, she could kill him right now but only remained frozen. She pulled back, and rolled off of him, sitting beside him. She had killed her fair share of assassins who made it this far, had wished Eden had given her some type of warning.

"Shit, you snuck up on me. I knocked in a few walls and added this to my apartment."

"I thought the Royal apartments were--"

"I changed some things, just to stop the assassins, switched things up." Shuri said, Eden sat up slow and massaged his neck.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened, I would have come, I would have called but--"

"You were busy, saving the world." Shuri said, she wasn't upset at him, she was upset at what the country had become, how they hurt and how it hurt her in return. She was so angry all the time and she'd normally seek out T'Challa's council but he had betrayed her, betrayed all of Wakanda. Letting that horrendous man into their borders and claiming there was a valid reason.

"I'd be here if I could--"

"It's not you, Eden. Of course it's not, there's just a lot going on and I'm frustrated and tired, and I can't sleep and..." Shuri covered her face and let out a frustrated scream. She expected him to mutter about how he was busy, just dropping through and then to disappearing only leaving his scent and wisps of lights. Instead she felt one of his arms fall around her pulling her close.

"World's falling apart." He said.

"You said we have to create time for the things we need." Shuri said, she didn't fight against him, not that it would take much. She listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and hoped he'd keep talking. It was soothing in a way she had yet to experience in the past few months, the medication was barely helping anymore. She didn't want to chance an addiction by taking or creating anything stronger. "I want to rest well for one night."

"And I want to save the world."

"I think that's far beyond our reach." Shuri said, "And you can't save the world if you're exhausted, you look worse than I feel."

"I forgot how blunt you were, I missed that." Eden said.

"I missed you too." She said, she's not entirely sure when they fall asleep, just that she wakes up in bed with Eden beside her. In the past few years the calls lessened and lessened and she knew he was trying to help where he could while she was still pulling bodies from the water. She should have risen and attended to her duties for the day but she needed just a few more minutes to herself, if she was going to allow herself one pleasure it would be just spending this time.

"Shuri..." Eden said and placed his hand on her shoulder, rocking her softly.

"Not yet, Eden."

"I have to go, but I'll see you soon." He said and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and by the time she opened her eyes he was gone. She noted as she got ready for the day that she hadn't felt this rested in weeks.

* * *

 

Eden has felt his world shatter twice. Once when he heard word that Shuri died, and again, when the world twisted and turned, ripping at the very corners of his mind before resettling into place, but hearing of Shuri's death hurt worse than the tear in his mind. Everyone else can carry on as if everything is normal but he knew it wasn't. A name rested on the tip of his tongue. _Princess. Princess._ When the King of Wakanda calls you can't falter and Eden doesn't, but he feels like he's rushing towards something greater than T'Challa. He helped the King and then skulked throughout the palace, the place is familiar to him but he can't recall why.

When he passed the late Queen's statue he feels something stir deep within him, something that longs for that woman, but it's impossible that he's known her. He'd remember her, wouldn't he? His connection to the late Queen and this place bother him enough to talk with T'Challa who confirm his suspicions, he knew the Queen better than he previously believed, and the world had broken and reformed. Eden hadn't coped well initially with Shuri's death, and T'Challa took his memories of her at his request. When T'Challa tells him there's a way to bring Shuri back, but it could cost their lives, he jumped at the chance.

Shuri is different not just physically but he can sense a greater change in her. He missed her as much as Wakanda had, now having her back meant he didn't want to leave her side. Was that truly friendship? He had been moved to consider deeper thoughts about what he wanted from Shuri and himself. What did he want for the world?

"Eden it's good to see you." Shuri said and sat beside him in the garden.

"Yes, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"About what?" She asked.

"About us."

"There's an us?" She questioned and then gave him that playful smile of hers.

"I missed you, when you were stuck between worlds."

"Glad to hear it."

"But I had you wiped from my memory." He said, he admitted it, he didn't like beating around the bush. 

"You're as dramatic as T'Challa when it comes to such things." Shuri said. "Why would you get rid of me if you missed me?"

"I couldn't live without you." Eden said, "And I... I love you, Shuri. I understand if you don't feel the same way but--"

"Oh, Bast, you're worse than my mother when you jump to conclusions of course I love you." Shuri said, "I always assumed you didn't feel that way. You never made a move."

"I heard the things people said about Ororo--"

"My brother's relationship are not my own." Shuri said, "And you being a mutant may ruffle a few feathers but there's nothing wrong with you. Don't presume to protect me without my permission."

"Of course." He said and muttered the words a few time. Was this really happening? How many years had he buried these feelings? And she really wanted...

"So what now?" Shuri asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to confess your undying love and then not act on it?" She asked and was stunned when he wrapped his arms around her and peppered her face with kisses. "Not so fast! I meant ask me, officially."

"Shuri are we going to confirm what many people have already suspected?" Eden asked.

"Only when asked." She said and pulled him close, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Until then, it's you and me, the way it was before you left me."

"I didn't want to but I couldn't--"

"You couldn't leave the world to fend for itself," Shuri said, "That's why I love you."

* * *

 

The night before Shuri launched Eden and her brother into space she lay beside him in bed. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him, he only ever did it when he knew her mind was a million miles away. It was strange how easily he could read her when the rest of the world couldn't.  

"What are you thinking of, my love?" He asked. 

"Everything that can go wrong tomorrow."

"And what could go wrong? You're brilliant, Shuri." Eden said, "I'd put my life in your hands a million times over."

"There are over a hundred things that can wrong."

"But they won't." He reminded her. 

"No, no they won't." She said and leaned forward pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "You'll discover what's going on, you'll come home to me, and we'll tell Mother about the engagement."

"In that order?"

"Of course." Shuri said, "Now it's time go to bed, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I twisted a few arcs for time sake to make it make a bit more sense. But Eden and Shuri coming from two different worlds but still becoming a couple is interesting because they're so different. I'm interested if Marvel actually does anything with this or not.


	15. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day meant for relaxing turns into more when none other than Riri Williams comes falling out of the sky. What does this mean for Shuri and Eden's day of relaxing? Why does Shuri not find herself annoyed with this girl? Why does some tiny part of herself feel like she can relate to this girl and can she try to do her own bit of saving without anyone dying in the process? It's a new beginning for so many people.

Shuri doesn't know what's going on in America, maybe it's better that way. What she does know is that when she was doing her morning yoga on the roof of the Palace a child fell out of a portal that opened up in the sky. For a moment she thought it was Tony or a model rebuilt off his design, but it couldn't be Tony, he was gone, for real this time. In a heart beat she's up and on her feet flying after the person who is screaming and falling out of the sky. Shuri managed to catch them before they smashed into a building, their rockets were failing and knew all too well the physical damage that one could take from falling out of the sky.

Shuri carried her back to the roof, rolling her onto her back, she didn't know the child but knew the suit was loosely designed off of Tony's, a brightly colored bare bones Stark design. As the face mask opened she could see the child was scared as they rightfully should be. If she hadn't been here, who knew what might have happened?

"Where am I?" She asked.

"Wakanda." Shuri said, seeing this child careening through the sky had set her heart at a miserable pace. She folded her hands across her chess and tapped her arms, for a moment Shuri imagined she looked as scared as Ramonda might be in this situation. "Now it's my turn ask questions, why did you just fall out of a hole in the sky?"

"You're Shuri! The Queen of Wakanda! I thought you were like...dead. Are you dead? Are we...dead?" She said and tried to sit up, she laid back down as Shuri held out her hand stopping her. No, that wasn't a good enough answer. What they didn't need at the moment was a rip in the space time continuum....again.

"That's not the answer I'm looking for, child."

"I'm Riri and I don't really remember right now." She said and rubbed the back of her head, "I was chasing these bad guys, because that's what I do now and--"

"Riri? That's your full name?" Shuri asked curiously. It rang a bell, Eden would ramble on about all the goings on in America, there was just far too much happening for her to pay attention to every word that fell of out his mouth. Every once in a while she would chime in... he'd mentioned a young upstart. Riri... something. Was this her? Wasn't she supposed to be a genius? Didn't she know she wasn't supposed to fall out of the sky like that?

"Well Shuri certainly isn't traditional either." Riri said but Shuri ignored her. 

  
"How did you get this suit?' Shuri asked.

"I made it. Reverse engineered. Look." Riri said and sat up and pressed her hand over the heart of the suit. Oh Bast, she really was just some child. She looked so incredibly young and for a moment reminded Shuri of herself. Strange."Long story short it's semantics but it's all mine, Tony gave me permission before he--"

"Tony? Tony Stark?" Shuri questioned and then looked around. Word of someone carrying the mantle were whispered but she was expecting Dr. Doom, not a child. This was incredibly dangerous for her to be meddling in, Tony Stark and his enemies were many that stretched the globe and beyond. Did Riri know what type of target she had painted on her back by accepting this pact with Stark? Was he actually mentoring her? "We've been outside far too long, if rifts are opening up over Wakanda we need to get inside."

"Inside? The royal palace?" Riri questioned but before she could get her bearings Shuri was carrying her inside. They walked through the Royal Palace getting odd stares from the guards but they knew better than to question Shuri. The only people who had the nerve or clearance to do so was her brother or mother and neither were available at the moment. "Am I in trouble?"

"For Bast sake you should be. How old are you? Thirteen--" Shuri said doing her best not to scold her, she can only imagine what might have happened if she wasn't here. Shuri struggled with her mortality on the daily basis and now she knows she's meant to be here, even if just to catch wayward children falling from the thrice forsaken sky.

"--Fifteen--" Riri corrected.

"And flying through the sky so recklessly?" Shuri asked, she hated that she sounded so much like her mother.

"No offense but you were the black panther and--Wait, so you're not dead, are you? Oh my God! Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?" Riri asked as Shuri made a beeline to the lab.

"You're not dead, child."

"My name is Riri, not child, and I can walk myself." She said.

"Fine." Shuri said and placed her on the floor.

"I should really be leaving--" Riri said and stumbled a bit as she began to move about, following right behind Shuri as she typed in a code on the panel.

"You won't be leaving until you tell me who you were chasing and if they opened that rift." Shuri said as they approached her lab. Shuri would have thought the child was entering a toy store the way she eyed her lab. She stepped out of her suit and made a mad dash towards the Black Panther suits she had been working on.

"Oh my god! This is a real Wakandan lab! I've only dreamed of this! And is that real Vibranium?" Riri asked, Shuri rushed over to Riri, blocking her path and stopping the girl before she got ahead of herself. Were all American teens as presumptive as this girl?

"I need you to tell me what happened, the full story, and then we'll see about getting you home. The lab can wait. Isn't your mother worried?" Shuri asked. She knew Ramonda would be pitching a fit if she had fallen out of the sky, not that she had done much better than Riri, Shuri had just happened to fall onto the throne at such a ripe young age and paid dearly for it.

"I'm gone often--" Riri said.

"That isn't the answer to the question, first, who were you chasing?" Shuri asked and pulled up two stools for both of them.

"People are going missing in my city, they needed my help." Riri said, she spoke passionately about her people and it was honorable. "I was following a lead, it's someone who disappears in thin air, oddly enough."

"Why would you go after them then?" Shuri asked, Riri sat down on the stool and looked at her hands, clenching and unclenching her fists before speaking again.

"You don't get it." Riri said softly, painfully. "Have you lost every person who has ever meant anything to you? I have my mom but... I needed to find these people, I didn't care if I died in the process."

"I understand all too well." Shuri said, "But you're human, I'm assuming, and even you have limits.

"I think he shorted my rockets." Riri said and Shuri was sure she heard the young girl curse under her breath.

"It probably just requires more work." Shuri said under her breath while stroking her chin. The door to her lab opened and closed and she knew without looking who it was.

"I went to the roof to find you but when I came you weren't there so I figured you would be here and--Who is that?" Eden asked as he stopped short of Shuri with two Yoga mats rolled up under his arms.

"Oh God...That's Manifold." Riri said and looked between Shuri and Eden. "Are you two dating? Is it true he brought you back?"

"What is that?" Shuri asked, as an AI of a young girl popped into her lab. Shuri's skin turned to stone and she was prepared to attack it before Riri spoke. It was a hologram, that much was obvious, the way she moved and walked through solid items, T'Challa had had a few he created when she was a young girl. 

"That's...Natalie. My AI. She was just worried." Riri said. 

"Oh." Shuri said.

"Damn, Ri. You're doing good for yourself, all the way in Wakanda, eh?." Natalie said.

"Who is she?" Eden asked and nodded towards the hologram. 

"An AI crafted from her memories and her brain scans of her wants and needs." Shuri said quickly.

"How the hell did you know that?" Shuri asked.

"When you have a brother as precocious as T'Challa you learn to spot things just off the tip of the ears like that." Shuri said and then looked back to Eden. "We're going to have to postpone the yoga. Her suit is in desperate need of an upgrade and someone needs to call her mother."

"My mom knows I'm always gone--" Riri interjected.

"Gone and 'in Wakanda' are two different things." T'Challa said as he entered the lab. "It's nice to finally meet you Ms. Williams. Just who have you tracked all the way to Wakanda?"

"A man who disappears in thin air." Riri said. 

"The scent can't be far." T'Challa said and tapped Eden on the shoulder, "I'd like you to tag along this time, for back up, once you're done with the ...eh...yoga."

"Hey! This is my catch! These are the people terrorizing my city." Riri exclaimed and turned around fully to glare at Eden and T'Challa. 

"She has a point." Shuri said and stood up and walked over to where her old suit hung up.. Shuri looked at the new suit she had been working on and its upgrades. "You're going to have to move fast, whoever this person is they have no business in Wakanda."

"You're serious?" Riri asked, her eyes bulging as she rushed over to where Shuri was standing.

"As a rhino attack." Shuri said and nodded her head towards Eden and T'Challa. "Go get started we'll catch up, I'll have to acclimate her to the spare suit."

"Of course." T'Challa said and gave her a knowing smile before they stepped through a portal and disappeared completely. 

"Riri, have you ever gone hunting before?" Shuri asked.

"Once...why?"

* * *

 

Riri is acclimating to the suit almost too well. She runs as fast as a panther and barely runs into any trees or trips over any debris or loose gravel. Shuri watched her from above, she blends in with the rest of the team easily. Riri has drive and purpose, and nothing about her hints that she's trying to prove something. Still, what is she running from that brings her far across the seas all the way to Wakanda? Shuri and Riri come upon the explosion sight, and T'Challa is already there and showing off, punching, kicking and tossing men around like ragdolls. Gunshots ring in the distance and Shuri saw how Riri froze, she's stuck and Shuri swoops low, knocking her out of the way of the oncoming barrage of bullets.

"Riri!" Shuri shouted and snapped her out of the haze and then the girl is up and striking with the rest of them, taking down the dangerous twins and their hired team who coasted on fumes and trick fog. When it's over Riri hangs back as if Shuri can't tell, she sees what the girl is doing, what Shuri has done to herself a million times when no one cares to look or notice.

"Sorry." Riri said, "About earlier."

"Why would you apologize?" Shuri asked and leaned against a tree. Riri sat on the grass and plucked at loose pockets of dirt and any grass that wasn't burned and singed by the explosion. 

"I froze... I... remembered something...someone... and I just froze." Riri said sounding hurt and disappointed. 

"It happens." Shuri said.

"What?" Riri said and looked up from the spot of dirt she had been glaring at. She looked surprised as if Shuri would have scolded her. Once upon a time she may have been as callous to do such a thing, but she understood better than most when it came to something as complicated as this. 

"It happens." Shuri said, "Sometimes there is no one there to pick up the pieces, or maybe you're still holding onto something because you're afraid of what might happen if you let go."

"My friend, my dad... they died." Riri said, "It doesn't feel weird telling you this, you aren't anybody important. Crap, I mean, you are, you're the Queen of Wakanda, but I mean, I don't have to worry about you like... trying to talk to me about it."

"I'm not the Queen of Wakanda anymore." Shuri said, "And we can talk about it whenever you want. My entire country was leveled, and I died, and yet here I am. It gets easier with time, if you address it, when you're ready to address it."

"But what if I freeze and I..." Riri covered her face with her hands and growled, it was a feral growl that came from a hidden place of hurt. Shuri had made the sound many times when she thought she was alone, but she was never truly alone, the ancestors buzzed about her head talking to her, encouraging her and helping her when they could. How strange was it to find someone who mirrored her, she could see her hurt and only wanted to ease it. "It's frustrating." Riri said, "I can't make it go away, I don't want them to go away... but it hurts holding onto all of this." 

"Whoever they are, they were important to you and they'll live on in your memory and elsewhere. And when you're really ready to talk about it, I'm here."

"You mean I can return to Wakanda after all of this?"

"Why not?" Shuri said with a smile and held out her hand to the young girl. Oh, how she reminded her of her younger self. The hurt in her eyes. The heavy weight responsibility on her shoulders. The bitterness that was growing in her. She could see it growing in Riri and if she could save just one person from that she'd do her best. Riri looked up from her spot on the grass and took her hand allowing herself to be helped up.

"Ready to go home?" Eden asked from behind them.

"Yes," Shuri said and looked to Riri, "We'll get your suit tuned up, send these damned magicians you were chasing back across the seas, and then get you home."

"Sounds like a plan." Riri said and Eden opened a portal and they all stepped through.

* * *

 

Shuri doesn't make a habit of coming to America, she doesn't hold fond feelings for this country or many of its people. Yet, in the short amount of time she has known this young, troubled girl she finds herself connected to this place in a different way. Riri isn't too different from her, except she's never been a Queen, but she loves her people so damned much she's willing to cross the sea and nearly die for them. Shuri watched as a young man and Riri's mother stood on a lit porch to greet her as she and Eden watched Riri walk over to her home.

"I hope she gets to place the blade where it belongs." Shuri said softly as she watched her. Riri turned and waved to them before entering the house with them.

"I figured that's what it might be." Eden said and placed one of his hands around Shuri's shoulders, pulling her close and resting his head on shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Shuri asked.

"You both _do_ have a lot in common."

"Hush, you silly man." Shuri said and turned and started walking, she was entirely unsure of where she was going but Eden chased behind her.

"She has a loving, and understanding mother, she lost her father at a young age and other loved ones, she's one of the smartest people in the world, and she loves her people so much she's willing to die for them." Eden said and Shuri stopped walking and turned to face them. "And she's taking the world on alone when she shouldn't have to."

"Eden I am not taking the world on anymore. I'm done with that. I'm not Queen. I'm not Princess Regent. Just Shuri." Shuri said and folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to speak.

"Putting the blade where it belonged wasn't the end, was it, Shuri?" Eden asked softly and knew he was toeing dangerous ground.

"No, it was a new beginning." She said and walked back over to him, she could see the house in the distance but focused on him. "I came back...for whatever reason."

"Because you're needed." Eden said and held his hands out to her.

"To save children from falling out of the sky?" She asked as she walked into his arms and rested her head against his chest.

"I heard you talking to Riri when we were still in the field." Eden said and rubbed her back, massaging circles as he held her close. She wrapped her arms around him and took in a deep breath of air. She wasn't one for talking about her feelings but this was fine, she knew Eden would never turn it against her. "You gave her advice when none of us even noticed what she was going through. It's more than saving kids from falling out of the sky, which isn't a bad gig as far as jobs go. You can change things and save lives with more than just your claws and fists."

"Doesn't always feel that way." Shuri said, "I still feel like I'm grasping at straws in the dark, sometimes."

"Well I'm here too." Eden said.

"That's true, thank you for being here...for staying." She said and pulled back just enough to look at him before leaning forward to kiss him. "Now lets go home, maybe we can try yoga again?"

"Yes, let's try." He said and opening up a portal of blinding light and they stepped through. Shuri looked back and could see the warm glow from the house in the distance before turning back to face Wakanda. Riri would be fine and hopefully so would her city, she was a good kid with a decent head on her shoulder. Eden linked his hand in hers as the portal fizzled and closed behind them and they headed back towards the roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I took on writing this I never paid attention to how similar Shuri, and Riri, are in spelling so forgive me if I get names and name tags mixed up every now and again. Also, I think Shuri and Riri share some of that same trauma and it would be cool for Riri to have a role model outside of America and its scope of influence. Bonus points because Eden's a sweetie and probably super observant even when Shuri doesn't think he's paying attention. I like to think Eden is there for her when she goes in a little too deep and he's willing to pull her back out.


	16. What we were missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Eden has returned home to Harlem, fate would have them meet again. Can Shuri finally admit what was been on her mind for so long?

Eden leaves Wakanda and returns to Harlem. He calls that place home, he calls himself a citizen of the world. It’s not all together unbelievable that he would leave but whatever they have been building and work towards disappears all at once. Shuri is not a foolish little girl falling for men with bright eyes and big smiles and pretty words, but she likes Eden, he not only listens to her but he understands, and what more can anyone in life ask but to be understood? Shuri also isn’t a fool and knows his lingering looks and smiles have to mean something. It takes her sister-in-law to place that something is wrong with her. 

“Something wrong?” Ororo asked, they were having their monthly meeting. It was just nice to talk to her about things that didn’t include her brother and Wakanda.

“What makes you think that?” Shuri asked, she swirled around her glass of wine.

“You seem distant.”

“Dying tends to do that to some people.”

“And I know you are not a fool, you use this death excuse as a tool against others so you can deflect.” Ororo said, “So tell me, what’s wrong?”

“There’s no issues, unless you’d like to talk about my brother and Wakanda.”

“I’ll pass,” Ororo said, “I spoke to a friend of yours today.”

“I have friends?” She asked and sipped her wine.

“Eden. Eden Fesi.”

“Oh.” Shuri said, she considered contacting him but what would she say? What could she say that wouldn’t sound awkward or forced, so months bled by with no contact between them. Wakanda was busy enough which left her with little time to think of him but when she did, it became apparent she liked him more than she let on, the least she could do was not lie to herself about it. “How is he?”

“Why are you being so coy, sister?” Ororo asked and poured more wine in both their glasses, “What happened between you two that you aren’t telling me?”

“Nothing.” Shuri said irritably and drank her wine.

“Did he turn you away?” She asked.

“No, because there was nothing to turn away… I didn’t… He doesn’t know.” Shuri said and scowled harder. He was standing at the docking port about to leave and she shook his hand like he was a diplomat. She never felt so foolish in her life.

“I never took you for the shy type, in fact, I’m sure you’re not.” Ororo said, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“What was I supposed to say?” Shuri asked.

“Oh dear, you really like him.” Ororo said and barely stifled her laughter.

“He’s….likable.”

“He is.” Ororo agreed, she had known the man, he was loyal to a fault, strong and dependable. Ororo was more than sure men like him were blown back off their feet by being around Shuri, she was an incredible young woman, sometimes too headstrong for her own good but it was starting to even out, shame it took death for such a thing to happen. “I just never thought you would want to find someone and settle down.”

“I haven’t talked to him in months and you speak as if we are going to marry.” Shuri said and then looked at her watch. “I must be going, I have a few things to do while I’m in the city.”

“Eden, perhaps?” Ororo asked and could barely hold back her giggling.

“You were never this funny in Wakanda, sister.” Shuri said.

“There wasn’t much to laugh at then." She said and sucked her teeth.

“Hopefully that changes, hopefully my brother has truly changed.” Shuri said and made her way to the balcony door, Ororo watched as she disappeared into the night, one black bird swooping over the city as she made her way to her destination. Ororo had never seen Shuri so flustered by simple questions, Shuri had always had good taste and high standards and never stuck with one person for too long. She wondered if Shuri traveled this road with Eden where it would end.

* * *

 

Shuri jumped out of the window as the bullets bounced off of her, she soared down to the ground where more Hydra agents were waiting. She could take them all out on her own and had began to when someone fell out of the middle of the sky, soaring through the air and began handling the other half of them. The hooded individual came up to her and pulled back his red hood once the fighting was

“Long time no see.” Eden said and put away his spear. It had been a while since she saw him, his locs had grown longer and he had a bit more facial hair than he had the last time. Is this what he was doing in his free time?

“Yes, it has been.” Shuri said,

“I asked the Windrider about you.”

“Yeah, she told me, we were just sitting down to dinner when I had to deal with this infestation.” Shuri said, she was completely disgusted but held up the hard drive in front of her, “I got what I needed.”

“How long are you here?” Eden asked.

“A few days, I guess I have a bit of a vacation for once since I tackled this early.” Shuri said and looked around and then down at the dead Hydra agents. She kicked one of the ones who were still moving before stomping their head into the ground ending their worthless lives.

“Did you want to go do something?” He asked.

“Do something?” Shuri questioned with one cocked eyebrow, “Like what?”

“We could go see a movie.” Eden said as if Shuri hadd the patience for movies.

“I’m afraid I can’t, it goes against standard protocol. I typically don’t do things in the dark where I can be assassinated.” Shuri said, she had gotten a long list of things she could and couldn’t do before she was sent on the mission. T’Challa had even began reading them to her, from the smallest thing as stopping at a hot dog cart to assassinating the President or a foreign diplomat.

“We could go to my place...have dinner… catch up.” Eden said sheepishly and took a few steps backwards, “But don’t feel obligated, I just thought it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“It has been a while.” Shuri said, what else was she going to do tonight besides send this hard drive along with the others back to her brother. She’d probably lay in bed and try to sleep while her traitorous mind thought about Eden and everything they could be doing if she had just been honest. “Yeah… sure, let’s go.”

“I’ll lead the way.” He said and opened a portal and let her step through first. Her first thought was that his home reminded her of Eden, it was smaller but cozy, the apartment was sparsely furnished but it didn’t make it look desolate or abandoned, the brick colors complimented the dark brown paintings in his place. “Have my living arrangements impressed you?”

“You don’t have to attempt to impress me.” Shuri said.

“That’s not an answer.” He said and tossed his spear through a portal and she heard it snap into place on the wall near the far side of the living room and placed his coat over the back of the couch.

“Yes… it’s nice. It….fits.” Shuri said but hadn't taken her eyes off him, “So what was this about dinner?”

“Oh.” Eden said and rubbed the back of his neck, “I thought you’d cook.”

“Your sense of humor has not left you, I see.” Shuri said and they both laughed, Shuri gravitated towards the kitchen and Eden followed behind her. His place at the table was already set and he appeared to have left in the middle of his meal.

“You were eating?”

“I was staking out that place for months, when I got word there was some action I knew I had to move.”

“Ah, I see.” Shuri said and took a seat at the table. Could T’Challa have him on this as well? It wasn’t unlike her brother to cover both fronts. “So what are we eating?”

“Something I caught.” He said.

“Caught?” Shuri questioned.

“Gateway tried to instill many things in me, if you can hunt an animal you can hunt a man or an alien.” Eden said, “The same principles apply.”

“We are eating an animal, right?” Shuri questioned and looked at the strips of baked meat. 

“Of course.” Eden said and placed her plate in front of her, “Are you allowed to eat this? I wouldn’t want to break protocol or get you in trouble with the King.”

“It’s fine.” She lied, she wasn’t supposed to eat anything that wasn’t prepared in Wakanda and sent over to her personally by the Head Chef. It wouldn’t hurt to bend one rule, would it? Though,during her time in America she had already broken half the rules on the list, including the one about the hotdog cart. “Let’s eat.”

* * *

“...So what did Captain America say?” Shuri asked, for the past few hours they were sharing stories and catching up as Eden suggested. It was nice talking to him, and talking about something besides Wakanda and finding a way to balance it again. She tired of diplomacy, plots against their families and enemies abroad. It was nice to hear stories and not have to be the one to tell them for once.

“He asked for me to give him his shield back.” Eden said and they both laughed, they had drifted from the kitchen to the living room, she missed talking with him and laughing with him, not that there weren’t plenty of people to talk to back Home but it was different. She liked Eden and enjoyed his company, he was intelligent and consistently thought outside the box.

“You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.” Shuri said.

“He’s harmless.” Eden said and waved it off and sighed, “I’ve really missed this.”

“Harlem?” She questioned.

“You. I mean...talking to you and laughing with you, and fighting bad guys with you.” Eden said, “I ran into the Windrider and asked her about you.”

“She may have mentioned it over dinner.” Shuri said.

“I missed you.” Eden admitted and Shuri felt the entire vibe in the room shift, it had been light and carefree and now it felt heavy and laced with demands, not from Eden, but for herself. Now would be the perfect time, there was no need to keep walking around with this burdening her. Just say it. Get it off her chest. Whether he felt the same way or didn't she would have at least have been honest with herself and him.

“I missed you too.” She said, “I missed you a lot and there were some things I never said.”

“Like?” He asked, and it felt like it did the night he left Wakanda for good, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and her stomach dancing with butterflies. He was just one man but unlike many she had met, there were many good men in the world but very few Eden's, few people willing to put themselves on the front lines for what was right, and even less who could make her laugh and get her to talk for hours without feeling like she was burdening them.

“I like you, I like being around you.” Shuri said, she had never thought she would end up spending time alone with the man alone again. She hadn’t prepared what to say, she didn’t want the words to come out clunky and careless.

“I like you too.” He said, he was oblivious as to what she really meant.

“No, I really like you.” Shuri said and placed her hand over his and he stared down at her hand and then back up at her.

“Me too.” He said and smirked at her, she had just assumed that there was no way he’d ever pursue anything with her. She had resigned herself to a life of unrequited feelings when it came to him but there were moments when she would see him staring at her, she thought she had been imagining and over analyzing them, maybe she hadn’t. Clearly, she hadn't. Shit, too much time had been wasting by being caught like a Rhino in the hoverbike lights.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Shuri asked, he raised their joined hands and kissed the back of hers softly. She had been dreaming of this more often than she thought, she moved closer to him unable to believe her ears.

“I didn’t think you were interested.” He said, “I thought you were being polite.”

“No one has ever accused me of such a thing.” Shuri said.

“I’ve seen you be nice to men you hated.” Eden said, “I thought you were just... indifferent and being polite.”

“I was afraid you would politely turn me down.” Shuri said and he kissed the back of her hand again.

“And I thought you were fearless.”

“Matters of the heart are different.”

“Well where does that leave us?” He asked and stared up at her with those big brown eyes, what was she to say? Wakanda had enough problems and she didn’t know when she could squeeze in dates let alone a relationship, but she’d be a piss poor liar if she said she didn’t want to try or explore what could be.

“Where would you like it to? I have my responsibilities in Wakanda and you have your life here.” Shuri said.

“There’s room for compromise, right?” He said and leaned in forward, Shuri knew what he was doing, or going to do, and she thought about doing this for so long that there was no need to stop him.

“Possibly.” Shuri said and closed the gap between them, he let go of her hand and reached up to push her hair back and move closer. She’d wondered about him the moment she saw him when her soul was brought to earth and back to her body, what possessed her brother to trust such a man? In a world where everyone was only looking out for themselves and their best interest he did what was right and necessary despite the danger to himself. How could she not want to know him more? Why would she even fight it?

The kisses were gentle and soft in the beginning, exploratory kisses, soft nipping and playful kisses. Soon the gentle kisses melted into something hungrier, something had building during their entire friendship, his hands skimmed up and down her back as she tugged at his shirt, trying to get more access to him. She had waited long enough and knew him and herself well enough to know she wanted this, whatever it would be. He pushed forward, putting his weight on her, she could easily fling him across the room, she could kick a hole through man’s chest if she so willed it, but she liked this side of him, his performative assertiveness. Shuri allowed him to press her onto her back, he straddled her hips and stared down at her.

“Shuri… had I known… I would have never left.” He said as she reached up and toyed with the edge of his shirt, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it through a portal that opened and closed quickly.

“You have a life too.” Shuri said and placed her hands on his hips while staring up at him, “A road you must follow in life and your own stories to tell.”

“What if you’re apart of my story?” Eden asked.

“Then that’s what it’ll be.” Shuri said, he leaned down and kissed her again, this time pressing soft kisses to her neck, he seemed to know just the spot to kiss to drive her crazy, to make her drive her fingernails into his back. He pulled back and stared down at her, “Is there a reason you stopped?”

“Your breathing stopped.” He said.

“Then you should be impressed with yourself you can do such a thing.” Shuri said and her kimoyo began to vibrate.

“Do you have to leave?” He asked as it began to glow, a worrying frown was on his face.

“Give me a second to handle this.” Shuri said and stared at him, running her hands along the flat plane on his stomach before speaking. “What is it, Ororo?”

“Your brother called me, he was worried that something happened. Did you recover what he needed?” Ororo asked.

“Yes, I recovered it along with the others.” Shuri said.

“You sound like you’ve been fighting, why are you so out of breath?” Ororo asked, “Do you need me to come find you?”

“No! No. No. I’m fine, everything's fine.” Shuri said, she hadn't meant to sound so embarrassed, and Eden's smirking face didn't help the situation.

“If you’re sure, I’d hate for your brother to fly out her in the middle of the night--”

“What a lie.” Shuri said and laughed softly, “You actually like spending time with him.”

“As much as you like Eden--” Ororo said and Shuri ended the call and looked up to Eden, he gave her that wide grin of his, she looked away to frown at the Kimoyo. Why did she answer that thing at all? Of course if she hadn't her brother may have arrived and caught them in a compromising position, not that he was one to judge, how many odd situations had she caught him in with the Windrider?

“You told Ororo." He said, it sounded like both a question and an accusatory statement.

“Not exactly.” Shuri said and sat up slowly.

“You have to leave?”

“No,” Shuri said and stood up looking around his place before she found a hallway and began to walk away from him, “But I don’t plan on doing this on the couch like an amateur.”

“I.. of course… I’d never expect you to… not on the couch…” He said nervously and rushed over to follow her. “Shuri…”

“Yes.”

“Is dating against protocol?” He asked after closing the door behind them both.

“No, I don’t believe it is.” Shuri said and took a seat on the edge of the bed. “You know someone who’s interested?”

“I am.” He said.

“I’ll let T’Challa know you’re interested in him immediately.” She said and laughed, he stood in front of her and dropped to his knees while between her legs.

“I forgot how funny you could be when no one is around.”

“It’s a hard habit to break, wouldn’t do good for Wakandans to see me doing stand up when I was Queen.”

“And now?” Eden asked and placed one leg on each of his shoulders.

“Now I hear someone wants to date me.” Shuri said playfully.

“And your answer?”

“Yes.” Shuri said, “Can’t quite call it long distance when my boyfriend teleports wherever he pleases.”

“Boyfriend...wow… that feels… feels different when you say it.” Eden said, he looked genuinely inspired by her calling him that. Did her words really carry that type of weight with him? You would have thought she was handing him an award, not just giving him the title of being her boyfriend. What would he think when the tabloids began to call him Prince Regent? “I don’t think anyone will believe me.”

“Doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks, just us.” Shuri said, there would be much to explain when she got home.

“Just us.” He said repeating her words before getting the slip on her, he grabbed her legs and pushed them back  and slid between them.

“I think I’m starting to like this new side to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They deserve a hook up.


End file.
